As the first bus burned, the wind fanned the flames. Smoke billowed in the direction of the bus from which volunteers were performing the first evacuation exercise without seat belts. One later commented that, even from a distance, “that smoke is thick, it’s heavy, it’s black, and it gets you quickly—panic can set in pretty quickly.” Manley agreed that smoke inhalation


would prove fatal to individuals who were not able to exit the bus promptly. “In this situation, with the amount of smoke production, if we didn’t get out of that bus within that minute and 16 seconds, chances of surviving that are going to be limited. You can see how quickly that smoke production occurs.” he said. In under two minutes, temperatures at the top of the bus reached 700 to 800 degrees, while those at the base were 200 to 300 degrees, Manley informed attendees. He added that the danger is not over


once students are off a burning bus. As heat increases, the windows and windshield shatter, tires pop and pressurized compo- nents may explode. Additionally, if the fire happens on a road where other motorists are present, smoke impedes visibility. First priority should be given to ensuring chil- dren remain out of the roadway. “Now you have a bunch of kids


screaming and carrying on,” one attendee commented, recognizing challenges faced by the driver. In a bus fire, seconds count. An evacua-


tion would not start until someone smelled or saw smoke, Manley noted. He said that once a 911 call is placed, the Lee Summit Fire Department would arrive on scene in about five to six minutes. Once firefighters arrive, they will not only douse the fire but also ensure all student passengers had evac- uated. Another challenge they may face is the bus starting to roll down the street. Once firefighters have the fire under


control, they “identify the area of the bus where we have the greatest opportunity for survivability,” Manley stated. “We want to assess that area and try and affect rescue, if we have an opportunity to do so.” Te second fire was set in a school bus


that had rolled over onto its side. No vol- unteer evacuation drill took place on that bus, but on-board video showed firefight- ers assuming positions along the sides of the bus in imitation of the positions that students might be in. Te video showed that with the driver’s side door facing the sky and windows inaccessible, the only possible exits would be the rear door or roof hatch. Seats, backpacks and even the students them- selves would pose additional challenges to evacuation.


One attendee noted that the windshield can be kicked out, but only if the fire is in


the REPORTER


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the back of the bus. Manley added that im- provisation is encouraged, such as residents or passersby helping break windows to create exit points. “Get out the nearest exit is the best thing to do,” he said. Te fire set in the back of the second bus was handled slightly differently to demonstrate how the blaze would start to die out, characterized by gray smoke, if the windows and exits were kept closed. As soon as emergency hatches were opened and windows began to break, the flames spread and black smoke billowed toward the sky again. As the fire burned hotter, the smoke column towered higher. With a school bus on its side, first


responders’ jobs are complicated. Access and egress points are compromised, and leaking fuel may pool under the bus to pose additional fire hazards. Te nature of school bus fires has


changed over the past 30 years along with the materials used in the buses, Manly said. He explained that the natural wool and cotton materials used in the past have given way to synthetics that liquify in heat and spread flammable material across the bus. Whereas fires used to take five to six minutes to fully develop, now they can take three to four minutes to become full blown blazes. And even flame-resistant or flame-retardant materials will burn at a certain temperature, he added. “We all do evacuation drills throughout


the year, and we kind of take it almost nonchalantly,” one attendee said. •


4 THE SHOW REPORTER • OCT 26-31, 2018


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INSIDE:


Are 3-Point Seat Belts Buying Behavior Improvements? / A New Age for Bus Video


NOVEMBER 2018


Mile High Leadership


Nicole Portee of Denver Public Schools named Transportation Director of the Year


Are Your Routes Optimized?


School Bus Driver Shortages Tied to Lack of Hours

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