Expanding Your Y
By Stephane Babcock You’re never too old to learn. It is a lesson many of us
try to teach our children every day and one that school districts make sure they follow as well. But when it comes to training transportation staff to keep their students and themselves safe on the road each and every day, it some- times takes a little extra effort and reaching out to some experts in the community to get the necessary training, and to get the message out. On the arid plains of Phoenix, Ariz., Transportation Di-
rector Cathy Erwin lists student safety at the top of her pressing safety topics. Creighton School District #14 makes sure all drivers are on the ball when they’re behind the wheel. Tis applies to the loading or unloading of students, the actual bus ride, the dangers of other motorists on the road texting while driving, and worst-case scenarios like a child being left on the bus. “Drivers take their role as a mass-transit operator as im-
portant as that of an airline pilot or train conductor. Tey are transporting the future. Should they fall short of their responsibility it could result in the loss of their state certifi- cation and termination,” said Erwin. Safety training is an on-going occurrence, a requirement
really, for drivers throughout the school year. Besides the start of school year refresher classes, for which Erwin part- ners with neighboring school districts, the drivers also take advantage of a weekly early dismissal day to brush up on different transportation-related topics. All Creighton driv- ers are full-time employees, and if they are not either on field trip duty or out practicing bus evacuation drills, they are required to attend a Wednesday afternoon class head- ed by four of Erwin’s trainers. “Tere are also times [when the] staff will go on a field trip to visit outside schools and field trip sites for location
52 School Transportation News Magazine May 2011
HORIZONS for HORIZONS
Safety training can come in many forms, from many sources, and many transportation departments are taking the necessary steps to find it
and path of travel routes. Tis helps to eliminate anxiety and nervousness when a driver is called upon to assist or go to an area they are unfamiliar with. Familiarity aids in the reduction of potential bus accidents,” added Erwin. Staff field trips have also included safety classes put to-
gether by school bus manufacturers Blue Bird, IC Bus and Tomas Built Buses. Tere have also been visits to the Ari- zona Department of Public Safety for training classes. “Drivers had to draw for a leg of the driving to and from
these places. Te trip included city driving, railroad cross- ings, rural driving, freeway driving and mountain driving,” said Erwin. “Te drivers’ skills were also critiqued.” Sometimes surveying staff can highlight a glaring safety is-
sue. Gary Kestner, transportation director for Ohio County Schools in Wheeling,
W.Va., said the frustration of a few bus drivers led them to approach management about how to stop illegal passings by other motorists. After polling the rest of the drivers, Kestner learned of more than 700 instances of red-light and stop-arm violations in a span of six months. After speaking with the superintendent, the new police
chief of Wheeling, the county sheriff and the city prosecu- tor, Kestner set up a public meeting that was attended by local TV stations, radio stations and newspapers to discuss the issue. “We intend to pursue every avenue possible [including
billboards, radio PSAs and TV stations onboard the buses] to alert the public to the severity of the problem and to the consequences of failing to stop,” said Kestner. “Our school su- perintendent personally assured all drivers that they would have liability protection under the county’s insurance policy.” Te police department has also promised to increase
patrols in problem locations and to even put officers on board some buses. Te district is also looking to purchase
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