Communications
Improve School Bus Operations
Latest digital radio options can be a driver’s best friend Written by Mark Rowh
their ability to operate with a measure of independence should never be underestimated. But at the same time, thanks to increasingly robust communications tech- nology, drivers and central transportation operations staff can communicate more effectively than ever when assistance is needed, or key details must be relayed. A recent upgrade has improved radio communications
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in a number of ways at Township High School District 113 in Highland Park, Illinois. Previously the transportation department, which used the same system as at district buildings, suffered from connection issues due to dead zones. But a switch to Digi-Talk digital radios has brought positive results for the 38-bus fleet. “We attempted to improve things by having our an- tenna moved to higher ground and it helped somewhat,” said Brandon Hayes, the district’s chief transportation officer. “But ultimately, the digital radios were the better option for us.” Along with reduced connection issues, he said he has
found other features to be helpful, such as an option for playback of the last transmission, direct radio commu- nication for groups traveling together, and the need for a direct communication. The radios can also be labeled with user identification numbers or names. Along with the radios, other onboard communica-
tion is supported by GPS devices, a four-camera system, and a five-camera system now being tested on several buses. The fifth camera is mounted on the dash to capture footage of both the bus driver and the road. It features
re school bus drivers truly on their own when behind the wheel? That can be true in the sense of being the lone human navigator of the big yellow vehicle, and the need for
AI-enabled technology that records events such as distracted driving or a student in the school bus “Danger Zone” while loading or unloading. The same camera al- lows live connections into the bus from the transportation office and supports live “panic button” notifications via a text message when pressed by the driver. The GPS de- vices plugged into an OBDII sensor can be set to address speeding and also provide maintenance code feedback to mechanics via email. Hudsonville Public Schools in Hudsonville, Michigan
has also gone digital. All 75 school buses in the fleet are equipped with digital two-way radios (Motorola XPR- 5550e) that have GPS functionality through a smart push-to talk dispatch console. “This districtwide initiative put every district-owned ra-
dio onto the same set of channels and licenses,” said Rob Matthews, director of transportation. “This allows direct communication between our dispatchers and any district administrator or support staff members with radios.” With this system, each school site has its own dis-
crete channel or set of channels, depending on the building size. The transportation department has two channels, one for general dispatch and a second for technicians. A third radio-to-radio channel is available for travel outside of the district’s radio coverage. To provide optimum coverage for safety-related
communications, the district’s dispatch console is also interconnected to a dedicated 800MHz emergency-band radio channel from the Michigan State Police that can be monitored by the county’s central emergency dispatch. With this interlink, it’s possible for first responders to have direct radio communication with each school bus. As an extra measure of dependability, most drivers carry
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