lies with employees who have other job performance issues. Streeter added that complacency and routine can also be the root of the problem. “[Drivers] perform these checks six to
eight times a day and never have a student left behind,” he added. “Ten one day, one of the kids falls asleep and they don’t check.” Even with systems such as Child Check-
Mate, riders still get left behind, Martin said. Reasons range from the driver push- ing the button too soon while riders are still on board to having students push the button for them, thus neglecting to check for sleeping children. Also, he noted, if a driver leaves the key
peace of mind.
with the touch of a button.
on auxiliary or the engine running while parked at the school, it can prevent the Child Check-Mate system from engaging.
“
Our team truly believes that in the school bus industry, safety is everyone's business. For that reason, we take our responsibility very seriously. Our strong commitment to the security of children is our motivation for every system we build.
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hildcheckmate.com 1-87 7-494-82 2 2
pad that would require a driver to input his identification number instead of sim- ply hitting a button. “I have to believe that drivers would
hesitate to give their district ID number to students,” he said. “Of course, such op- tions increase costs and create another electronics challenge for the mechanics.” Te key is vigilance before a problem
occurs, Ellison said. “Drivers and support staff must realize
they hold students’ health and welfare in their hands,” he said. “Student safety is first and foremost in my operation.” Steve Russell, transportation manager at
Churchill County School District in Nevada, puts the onus on not only the drivers but also the entire transportation department. “Everyone is responsible to ensure
[Drivers] perform these checks six to eight times a day and never have a student left behind. Then one day, one of the kids falls asleep and they don’t check.” — Robert Streeter, Dysart (Ariz.) Unified School District #89
“Whatever system you put in place is
dependent on the people using it,” Red- den said. “Transportation personnel must stay focused at all times, or the outcome will never be good.”
EXPLORING SOLUTIONS From stricter penalties and better train-
ing to more advanced check systems, such as scanning systems to log students on and off the bus, survey respondents grap- pled with how to solve the problem. To prevent a student from engaging the system, Martin suggested utilizing a touch
42 School Transportation News Magazine November 2011
the safety of a child, from the parents at home, to the teachers and administrators at school, and the transportation depart- ment between both,” he said. While the threat of arrest for aban-
doning a child on a bus might curb the problem for a while, Russell said, it is not the long-term answer. So, what
is the solution? Increasing
accountability and combatting compla- cency as much as possible, he added. Supervisors and managers should also interact with drivers on a continuous ba- sis to drive home the fact that a child’s safety is job No. 1. ■
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