A


Adapt means to make fit, often by modifica-


tion, or to become adapted. Both definitions apply to the school bus as well as those charged with transporting students of different abilities. When students in a wheelchair utilize trans-


portation services, school buses are modified with special equipment to keep them safe and secure. Since wheelchair securement manu- facturers provide training on proper use of this equipment, they are united by a common pur- pose — and common challenges. “We’re all in the business of transporting our


students safely,” says Aaron Harris, training coor- dinator for Tie Tech/BESI. “We wouldn’t be in the business if that wasn’t our passion and our focus.” Now, two major manufacturers of wheelchair


securement systems are even more closely unit- ed, with Q’Straint and Sure-Lok having joined forces in November, with the two companies continuing on as separate entities while combin- ing resources on the sales front. Patrick Girardin of Q’Straint says the merger means the two com- panies will consolidate training efforts, while maintaining separate product lines, and will now be able to train “more efficiently.” He adds that the newly combined sales team will be trained on both lines of products.


“Tough there are some differences between


products, the principles and the training con- tent — such as the angles of belts, where to put tie-downs, tips for securement and regulations — really are not limited to strictly Q’Straint or Sure-Lok products,” says Girardin. “It’s a great opportunity to simplify things because most transit agencies have both products. “We do a lot of in-house training. Our sales


staff is more like traveling customer service than they are sales reps, and that’s not going to change,” Girardin continues. Steve Barker, Sure-Lok OEM business devel-


opment manager, says that this knowledgeable customer service staff is always available to answer questions about products or securing occupants and their wheelchairs. Sure-Lok and Q’Straint both offer training videos and hands- on opportunities in their seminars. “When training staff, a hands-on session fol-


lowing the classroom instruction is key,” Barker says. “Training is only effective when done prop- erly. Improperly trained staff have just as many obstacles and struggles as those who have no training. Staff should also conduct daily main- tenance checks to make sure each system functions properly.”


Shifts Occurring Off the Bus Harris concurs that regular training and annual refreshers are “extremely important” for school district train-


ers as well as drivers, aides and mechanics. “You can get into the habit of doing things not exactly right — not doing it wrong. But you can start doing


it in a routine way. You need to think about best practices, the gold standard,” Harris says. “Probably most im- portant is making sure we have crash-worthy wheelchairs on the buses. We are seeing more and more of the heavier electric wheelchairs and this is becoming a major challenge, having to secure them. We’re all working on different solutions.” Other issues cited by wheelchair passenger safety specialists include the shift from manual to retractable


tie-downs, inconsistent use of lap and shoulder belts and more WC19 wheelchairs. WC19 is a voluntary indus- try standard designed to improve the safety and security of wheelchair-seated occupants of motor vehicles. WC19-compliant wheelchairs, or “transit wheelchairs,” are equipped with various features, such as anchor points for securing the wheelchair to the frame of the bus and an attachment point for occupant restraints. “As far as wheelchair securement, we’re going to do it the same way on a large bus or smaller bus. One of the


reasons smaller buses are used is because they can bring the child closer to home,” says John Goss of Q’Straint. “Also, we don’t want to put an excessive number of wheelchairs on one bus. We must always consider that whatever number we put on, we must take off…[so] the emergency evacuation plan must consider how to get the special needs students off the bus as rapidly as possible.” To ensure that Q’Straint training sessions remain current, Goss says he makes a point to ask registrants


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