INDUSTRY CONNECTIONS
Oklahoma Senator and DERA Advocate Keynotes NSTA’s Annual Meeting State Sen. James Inhofe opened the 49th annual Nation-
al School Transportation Association Annual Meeting and Convention last month in Tulsa, Okla. Inhofe, the ranking member on the Senate Committee on Armed Forces and a strong supporter of the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) program, presented his keynote speech on July 22. In April, President Obama’s proposed budget included
a line item to slash DERA funding by 70 percent. Soon thereafter, EPA published its second report to Congress that detailed the successes of the federal emissions-reduc- tion program since its implementation in 2007. According to the EPA, DERA projects saved 63 million gallons of fuel from 2008 to 2010 and removed more than 203,000 tons of NOx, 12,500 tons of PM and 2.3 million tons of CO2. DERA includes the Clean School Bus Program, which
EPA launched in 2003. EPA officials have said the school bus industry has been the leading benefactor of the pro- gram, with 38 percent of grant wins.
Texas School Bus Driver Honored for Saving
Student’s Life Linda Wilson was recognized by the McKinney (Texas) Inde- pendent School District and her employer, school-bus contractor Durham School Services, for performing CPR on a student rider who had stopped breathing, a move credited with saving the child’s life.
Wilson was driving her route in early May when she realized a
female special-education student from Evans Middle School had stopped breathing. Te seven-year veteran driver began performing CPR until the girl started breathing again. By that time, paramedics arrived and transported the student to a local hospital, where Durham said the girl recovered from the incident. “After 911 was called, Linda knew that every minute counted and
started using CPR while waiting for the emergency response team,” said General Manager Pete Chancellor, who oversees Durham’s facility in McKinney, just north of Dallas. “She knew what to do, and didn’t waste any time doing it.” Te McKinney Board of Education awarded Wilson a certificate and she received a standing ovation from all in attendance. Durham supervisors also recognized Wilson’s heroic action during a local monthly safety meeting. “Linda is a true professional who cares so deeply for the students
she serves,” Chancellor said. “She acted quickly and is a big reason that student is alive today.”
ALABAMA SCHOOL-BUS TRESPASS ACT SIGNED INTO LAW
Unlawfully entering or interfering with a school bus in the state of Alabama can now land you in jail under a new law Gov. Robert Bentley signed in June. Te measure, which is named after murdered Midland City bus driver Charles “Chuck” Poland, specifically makes trespassing on a yellow bus a class-A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail. Te crime of trespass in the first degree includes intentionally stopping, impeding, delaying or detaining any school bus from being operated for public school purposes “with the intent to commit a crime.” Rep. Alan Baker sponsored the House version, renamed Te Charles “Chuck” Poland, Jr. Act, while Sen. Cam Ward sponsored the Senate version. State Pupil Transportation Director Joe Lightsey praised the lawmakers for their hard work in protecting Alabama’s students and drivers. “All too often, unauthorized persons have boarded school buses and threatened or assaulted students and school bus drivers,” Lightsey stated. “Te Charles ‘Chuck’ Poland, Jr. Act specifically addresses the issue of trespassing on an Alabama school bus and will help school systems protect students and school bus drivers by vigorously prosecuting persons who do so.” Te Dale County Schools bus driver was shot and killed in January by a gunman who boarded his bus and demand- ed two students. Before being shot, Poland negotiated with Jimmy Lee Dykes and blocked his path, enabling 21 children to escape through the emergency exit. After killing Poland, Dykes abducted a 5-year-old boy with autism and held him hostage in an underground bunker for nearly a week before FBI agents killed Dykes and rescued the boy.
36 School Transportation News August 2013
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