hicle window that you really need to talk to, but you have no idea because every- body taps on the window and says they’re the most important person there. When you don’t recognize them, it can hamper your ability to intertwine with resources at the scene.” While Mesquite ISD’s counseling staff


lacked relationships with the broader fire responder community, Edwards said established connections between and school resource officers from local po- lice departments and counselors served as a “bridge” in the moment of crisis. She acknowledged that having wider inter- actions beforehand “would’ve been very, very helpful.” Part of the ongoing communication


process during a crisis also involves an understanding that different entities and individuals will take leading roles at dif- ferent times, Rhodes said. “If there are injuries, fire or an extrica-


tion, the fire department is going to be the lead agency,” he added “If it’s a traffic incident, an investigation is going to take place and law enforcement is responsible for blocking traffic and preserving the scene after the first priority of treating people and removing the hazard. Other organizations will have other priorities, such as the school district sending notifications and coor- dinating the reunification of children who aren’t injured with their parents.” Don Hall was a defensive tactics and firearms instruc-


tor for the Yakima Police Department before retiring and becoming the assistant director of transportation for Bethel School District in Washington. While acknowl- edging transportation budgets are continuously tight, he encouraged districts that lack adequate technology—RFID cards to track students’ locations, GPS and electronic alert systems—to make those investments as quickly as possible. He also recommends establishing peer support groups for emergency situations so that staff also receive the emotional backing they need. “If they’re trying to find a bus and they’re dependent


on following a route sheet to try to find it, it can become a real search. Unfortunately, that does happen from time to time,” Hall said. “We have to bring our district trans- portation departments into the 21st Century.” Hall insists that bus drivers should adopt the same


mental preparation as police officers. He thinks of the 1980s TV show, “Hunter,” when he warns that mental preparation isn’t easy. “It seems like every episode he was getting shot and as


30 School Transportation News • FEBRUARY 2026


Overhead view of Nameless Road showing the location of the initial roadway departure and the final rest position of the bus during the Leander ISD crash.


soon as he did, he’d bounce right back up, shake it off and go right back at it. That’s not what happens when you’re hit with a bullet, even when you’re wearing a ballistic vest,” Hall explained. “You’re still going to get broken ribs, contusions, possibly internal injuries. The thing is, that officer has got to be prepared to take that shot. Yes, they’re injured but they’ve got to get up and fight.” The same is true for bus drivers. “Are you mentally preparing yourself to see trauma


before it happens? What happens if you’re injured and trapped in your seat and you’ve got 60 kids on board? What are you going to do verbally to take over, instruct the kids and get them to safety? If you have an active shooter on your bus, what are you going to do? You’ve got to prepare yourself for any scenario that may occur. You have to be the adult to get those kids off the bus and to safety.” Drivers need to routinely think through potential crises and decide how they will improvise, adapt and overcome in sudden, difficult situations. “Be prepared,” Hall advised. “It’s all mental preparation. You’ve got to make that commitment to do it. You’ve got to consis- tently be thinking about this.” Franco agreed. “I’d really stress talking to drivers about complacency because I think sometimes they can get


PHOTO COURTESY OF NTSB.


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