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America’s Best Competition Helps Raises Bar for School Bus Techs and Inspectors


By Sylvia Arroyo Te 8th annual NAPT America’s Best


National School Bus Technician and In- spector Training and Skills competition came and went, but what Jack Defibaugh of Greenbriar County Schools in Lewis- burg, W.V., learned from the event will stay with him throughout his career in the student transportation industry. “I brought back [to Greenbriar] some


things related to maintenance inspections that I want to try to implement,” said Defibaugh, who was this year’s America’s Best School Bus Inspector winner. After competing at the state level twice,


this was Defibaugh’s first time competing at the national level. He was overwhelmed when he found out he won. “It’s an amazing feel to know that I can


compete against some of the best guys in the country and come out a winner,” he added. Alan Fidler, this year’s America’s Best School


Bus Technician, felt lucky to have won. “It was a tough competition, a lot tough-


er than what I thought,” said the school bus technician from Tippecanoe School Corporation in Lafayette, Ind. “To end up winning was quite a shock.” Tis was Fidler’s first time competing at the national level. Defibaugh was one of 12 inspectors and Fidler one of 20 technicians who trav-


eled to San Antonio, Texas, to compete at America’s Best, which was created in 2004 to recognize technicians and inspectors who work tirelessly behind the scenes at school districts nationwide. Held Sept. 27-30 and hosted by the Tex-


as Association of School Bus Technicians, the event tested the skills and knowledge of those who regularly maintain or repair and inspect school buses. Hydrotex, Bus Parts Warehouse, Zonar Systems, and Te National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) sponsored the skills and training competition, which included hands-on and written exams. Aside from the friendly competition, the


event also included training workshops for all participants, an important component to the event, said Marshall Casey, director of maintenance for the South Carolina De- partment of Education and an America’s Best committee member. “Te competition is the highlight, but


we’d also like to emphasize that it’s about raising the bar to improve the knowledge and skills of these school district employ- ees,” he said. “Tese guys work so hard every day and play an important role in the security of school buses.” Joe Scesny, a retired school bus inspec-


tor with the New York School Department of Transportation and also an America’s Best committee member, said each year the event evolves with its workshops and hands-on diagnostics. For example, this year the technician portion included cov- erage of non-diesel bus technologies as well as a new trial station. “We’re always looking to make the tech-


nician portion more challenging,” he said. Since the America’s Best competition


2011 America’s Best School Bus Inspector Jack Defibaugh is flanked by (left) William Tousley, event coordinator, and Don Carnahan, vice president of sponsor Zonar Systems.


began, more states have held their own state-level competitions so they can send their highest scorers to the competition. In turn, individual candidates are recognized for their skill and knowledge, and they cre- ate a network of resources that can help


22 School Transportation News Magazine November 2011


Alan Fidler, center, took home this


year’s America’s Best School Bus Technician award. He poses with Tousley and Dwight Gleaves of sponsor Hydrotex.


them make their job a little bit easier. Casey said three goals are set for all


America’s Best participants. “Meet some- body new, learn something new and have fun while you’re doing it,” he said. “If that’s what they accomplish at the end of the event, then it’s been quite a success.”


SCHOLARSHIP HELPS PARTICIPANTS ATTEND EVENT Te America’s Best competition spon-


sors are also active during the event. Delco Remy provided judges for the diagnostic hands-on portion and, for the second consecutive year, endowed money for the America’s Best Scholarship Program. Te program was created to help qualify- ing technicians and inspectors with travel costs to attend the 2011 competition. Tis year four qualifying participants


received the scholarship, and one of them was Defibaugh, this year’s America’s Best inspector winner. Defibaugh was excited when he learned he was a scholarship re- cipient. “Te scholarship is a good idea. Tere are some school districts that can’t pay for travel expenses, so it’s important that the scholarship program keeps go- ing,” he said. ■


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