INDUSTRY CONNECTIONS
PENNSYLVANIA DISTRICT AWARDED NGV GRANT TO CONVERT ITS BUS FLEET Te Rose Tree Media School District received a half-million dollar Natural
Gas Vehicle Development Program grant to convert its school bus fleet to com- pressed natural gas (CNG). It will purchase eight new CNG buses and convert 14 buses, according to Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett’s office. Te Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) administers the
Natural Gas Vehicle Development Program. Te school district was one of 18 companies and organizations selected for grants that derived from a total pot of $6.7 million available this year. DEP said it received 49 applications that requested nearly $13 million for projects. State Rep. Tomas Killion noted fuel needs of eligible fleet will be sup-
SENATE BILL ONCE AGAIN TARGETS SECLUSION, RESTRAINT IN SCHOOLS
Rep. George Miller (D-CA) re-introduced in the House "Te All Students Safe Act," which would set minimum safety standards at schools to curb teacher and staff abuse in how they apply seclusion and restraint to students when dealing with emotional or behavioral outbursts. Seclusion and restraint is generally used in
the classroom to protect students with special needs from injuring themselves, other students or teachers. But, as STN contributor Peggy A. Burns, Esq. previously noted, several lawsuits have been brought against districts alleging that seclusion and restraint has been used on or around the school bus. For the most part, the suits have gone in favor of the districts. “False imprisonment is a term we’d never think about in terms of the school bus environ- ment, but it’s a real claim,” said Burns, owner of Education Compliance Group and editor of Legal Routes. “School districts should continue to win, but it’s a stressful situation.” Specifically, the legislation would provide
a federal baseline to prohibit elementary and secondary school personnel from using any mechanical, chemical or physical restraint that restricts a student’s breathing. It would also require states and local educational agencies to provide school personnel with state-approved crisis intervention training, first-aid certifica- tion and student management techniques. Special-needs expert Linda Bluth, the lead
monitoring and quality assurance specialist with the Maryland Department of Education, told STN that transporters should discuss with special educators the implications for the use of child safety restraint systems (CSRS) on school buses. Tey should also educate parents on the difference between the child-restraint systems for transportation seats and restraint used for behavior intervention.
30 School Transportation News July 2013
ported by a new hybrid fueling station the suburban Philadelphia district will own and operate. Te transportation grant initiative is part of Act 13 legislation signed last
year that authorized impact fees for natural-gas drilling in the Common- wealth. For three years, the state will distribute $20 million annually for the NGV grants, which will be used to convert bus fleets and build accompany- ing infrastructure.
TSA GUIDANCE ADDRESSES POTENTIAL OF ACTIVE SHOOTERS, IEDS Te Transportation Security Administration released unclassified bulletins
after Memorial Day that provide guidance specifically for commercial vehicle operators on how to identify potential active shooters and the presence of IEDs, as well as recommended countermeasures. Te Risk Reduction Section of TSA’s Highway and Motor Carrier
Branch issued the “Attack Method Awareness Bulletins” in late May. TSA defines an active shooter as a person or persons who appear to be using firearms to attempt to kill other people in a populated area. TSA provided a list of nine behaviors that might indicate a person may be about to begin shooting, such as appearing nervous and preoccupied, displaying a blank stare, profusely sweating or wearing bulky clothing that could conceal weapons. TSA further advised that organizations plan escape routes and instruct
employees to leave all belongings behind. If evacuation is not possible, the besieged should hide and block entry to hiding places, lock all doors, silence cell phones and personal electronics, and call 911. William Arrington, GM of TSA's Highway and Motor Carrier Branch, said that as a retired Maryland state trooper he personally disapproves of arming teachers, administrators or school bus drivers with concealed weap- ons to respond to active shooters. Instead, he said, school districts should rely on armed and trained school-police personnel. In addition, TSA released guidance on how to spot suspicious packages,
especially near “combustible areas” or in step wells, access points or other public areas. It recommended that “robust vehicle security” programs in- clude detailed vehicle inspections. Arrington said the guidance was developed along with the Bus Industry
Safety Council and the American Bus Association to be more proactive in providing security information to commercial sectors, including school bus.
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