After order was restored, the district impaneled a committee to
assess its woeful communications system. Te district upgraded its mobile communications with a system from Motorola, which provides hand-held radios that amplify communications capabilities to all facilities and buses whether on regular routes or on field trips. Backup generators provide power to drive the technology
during outages, and the district is in constant contact with its transportation contractor, already equipped with GPS and other bus locator technologies. “We knew we had to find a communication system that was
robust enough to communicate with our six facilities in times of emergencies,” Ciserella said. “We looked at a lot of different options and different price points, and we thought this system was best for our circumstances. It is robust enough to provide the services we need now and allows us to grow the system as it becomes necessary over the years.” He added that the system is checked monthly and has been
engaged during severe weather and power outages. “It has worked perfectly — not a hitch,” he said. Glen Ellyn’s sobering episode demonstrates the learning curve
experienced by school officials nationwide when it comes to mobile communications. Shortcomings are often revealed with stark reality during a crisis. Technology has broadened the definition of mobile communications to include fleet management and transcends the one-dimensional voice contact. Today mobile communications means being in touch with the
entire bus. System components vary from the basic two-way radio to real-time audio/video surveillance in and around the bus, GPS/
❝
The epicenter of the quake was in Mineral, Va., served by
the Louisa County School District. Communications there were crippled. Cell service was an immediate casualty and land lines were hit-and-miss until power was restored about 30 minutes later. Several buildings incurred serious damage. Two schools will not be opened this year. The good news is no one was injured and no buses were on their routes when the quake hit. Te sequel came less than a week later when Hurricane Irene
bore down on the Atlantic coast from Florida to New York. Te earthquake knocked out cellular networks. AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless were rendered useless because of the volume of calls. Text messaging became the only sure communication tool and remain a vital part of emergency communication plans recommended by cell phone companies. “Big events like that cause unpredictable surges in network
traffic,” Carman explained. “In times of crisis, our network engineers hit the ground running to get everything fully functional, and then use them as a learning experience. Everything is designed by network engineers to certain criteria, and part of the design is based on the assumption of demand. Resiliency of your network is a key component of an emergency response plan. Tat’s what it is about — resiliency.” REI’s Chris Shigley agrees but adds that a communications system’s
durability depends on what you want to spend. “A continuous (voice) connection like a cell phone is difficult to maintain during a surge, especially when you’re experiencing a natural disaster,” Shigley said. “Fault tolerance is directly related to price, the gravity of the natural disaster and whether planning for the natural disaster is in
A continuous (voice) connection like a cell phone is difficult to maintain
during a surge, especially when you’re experiencing a natural disaster ❞ -Chris Shingley, REI
AVL systems with time and date, engine diagnostics, turn-signal activations and speed indicators, stop arm deployment, EVIR, biometrics, ETA projections and more. Maintenance schedules and route planning are supported by these systems, and the resultant savings are touted as selling points to offset initial capital outlays. “Tere is a comprehensive suite of technologies available to
manage fleet operations, help with student safety and identify bus maintenance issues and driver behavior,” says Kevin Carman of AT&T. “Tey include wireless services, cellular services, mobile broadband and GPS. “Other technologies such as RFID, biometrics and video
cameras can be integrated to provide a comprehensive solution to help ensure student safety.” School districts along the Eastern Seaboard received a crash
course in mobile communications this past August when a magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Virginia. Te shocks were felt as far north as Canada.
your contingency plan. Unless you put up your own generator, none of these systems will have power. What you put into it is what you get out.” And the technology is there. Providers such as AT&T, REI,
Sprint and Zonar Systems, among others, offer school districts a smorgasbord of technology to monitor buses. Some providers consider themselves one-stop shops for all layers of technology, but many of the systems feature an “open architecture” so there is intercompatibility with other brand names for upgrades. School districts can mix and match to suit their needs and budgets. Te technology applications are given various names by providers but essentially have similar capabilities. Some systems, such as REI’s Bus-Watch, enable parents to
check on their children using their smartphones. “If I am a parent, the district could set up links so I know
exactly when my child is being dropped off at his stop,” Shigley said. “Not only is this a great communications tool to
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