There has been no shortage of school bus fires in the news lately.  Reports in the past few months have included:

• An empty school bus in Massachusetts caught fire while warming up.
• School buses in Alabama and South Carolina caught fire while students were on board (all were safely evacuated).
• Tragically, a school bus in Iowa caught fire and took the lives of its driver and a student.

The reasons for the fires are many: turbocharger, engine, and mechanical failures occur; wires loosen or rub against engine parts; old parts lose their integrity; tires explode; circuit boards become overloaded; and leaks release inflammatory fluids.  Fortunately, few injuries or fatalities have resulted from the fires.

Inspection and maintenance are the backbone of school bus fire prevention, and that’s the first thing the South Carolina Department of Education (DOE) addressed when its school buses started catching fire more frequently.  Following the top-to-bottom inspections, buses with equipment or mechanical problems were repaired or taken off the road immediately, per Ryan Brown the South Carolina DOE’s chief communications officer says.

South Carolina also upped its inspection schedule. While it normally inspects buses five to seven times a year, it made seven inspections a year mandatory for its fire-prone 1995 and 1996 rear-engine buses. The state also brought in an outside automotive engineering company and engineers from the bus manufacturer to review its maintenance and safety procedures.  “You don’t want people grading their own practices,” Brown says. “It was important to have the manufacturers, their engineers, and a third-party opinion validate our practice.”

To prevent school bus fires, the South Carolina DOE also took preventive action. It installed heat sensors, which alert the driver anytime a bus overheats, in all the engine compartments of its 1995 and 1996 buses.Driver inspections are also crucial in preventing school bus fires.

As replacing buses comes with a hefty price tag, the South Carolina DOE is buying many of its new school buses with a master lease program. Rather than spending at least $20 million upfront for new buses, the DOE buys new buses with a loan secured by the treasurer’s department and makes annual payments on each one for five years. Brown says the bank will secure the loan as long as the DOE gets recurring funding from the South Carolina General Assembly. The DOE hopes to use the lease-to-own model for the majority of its school bus purchases in the future.

There has been no shortage of school bus fires in the news lately.  Reports in the past few months have included:

• An empty school bus in Massachusetts caught fire while warming up.
• School buses in Alabama and South Carolina caught fire while students were on board (all were safely evacuated).
• Tragically, a school bus in Iowa caught fire and took the lives of its driver and a student.

The reasons for the fires are many: turbocharger, engine, and mechanical failures occur; wires loosen or rub against engine parts; old parts lose their integrity; tires explode; circuit boards become overloaded; and leaks release inflammatory fluids.  Fortunately, few injuries or fatalities have resulted from the fires.

Inspection and maintenance are the backbone of school bus fire prevention, and that’s the first thing the South Carolina Department of Education (DOE) addressed when its school buses started catching fire more frequently.  Following the top-to-bottom inspections, buses with equipment or mechanical problems were repaired or taken off the road immediately, per Ryan Brown the South Carolina DOE’s chief communications officer says.

South Carolina also upped its inspection schedule. While it normally inspects buses five to seven times a year, it made seven inspections a year mandatory for its fire-prone 1995 and 1996 rear-engine buses. The state also brought in an outside automotive engineering company and engineers from the bus manufacturer to review its maintenance and safety procedures.  “You don’t want people grading their own practices,” Brown says. “It was important to have the manufacturers, their engineers, and a third-party opinion validate our practice.”

To prevent school bus fires, the South Carolina DOE also took preventive action. It installed heat sensors, which alert the driver anytime a bus overheats, in all the engine compartments of its 1995 and 1996 buses.Driver inspections are also crucial in preventing school bus fires.

As replacing buses comes with a hefty price tag, the South Carolina DOE is buying many of its new school buses with a master lease program. Rather than spending at least $20 million upfront for new buses, the DOE buys new buses with a loan secured by the treasurer’s department and makes annual payments on each one for five years. Brown says the bank will secure the loan as long as the DOE gets recurring funding from the South Carolina General Assembly. The DOE hopes to use the lease-to-own model for the majority of its school bus purchases in the future.

A school bus driver from Burnsville, Minn., was removed from his route last week for leading students in prayer and reportedly creating an environment forcing them to pray on his bus, which he disputes, the Star Tribune reports.

George Nathaniel works for Quality Care Transportation, and is also a pastor of a Minneapolis congregation, according to the newspaper. He started working for the company in January 2017, and began incorporating prayer into the nearly two-hour bus ride for students this winter. He told the Star Tribune that students volunteered to lead prayers.

However, Muk Musa, the owner of the company, told the newspaper that school officials received complaints that Nathaniel “was influencing minors to the point where he was forcing them to pray.” Musa added that he lets drivers take time for personal prayer, and that leading students in prayer is not a bus driver’s job. Nathaniel said he was shocked that parents complained, because he had discussed praying on the bus with them.  He said that children need more prayer in their lives, and alleged that being taken off the route for leading students in prayer violates his constitutional rights to free speech and to practice his religion.

Nathaniel was reportedly fired from a job transporting students four years ago for the same reason, according to the newspaper. Although he hasn’t been fired by Quality Care Transportation, Nathaniel also hasn’t been assigned a new route.

Perhaps Nathaniel is trying to tell us that prayer is needed back in schools.

School District 27J, located northeast of Denver, announced that it is implementing a four-day school week for the 2018-2019 school year, joining nearly 100 districts around the state that are operating a similar schedule.  The district first needs plan approval by the Colorado Commissioner of Education. Still, the district expressed optimism as no district requesting permission has been turned down.

A study released last August by the Colorado Department of Education revealed that 98 districts, amounting to 55 percent of districts in the state, were operating on a four-day school week schedule during the current school year. That number has steadily climbed since the option was first made available in 1980.

Starting this August, regular education days at 27J will be increased from six hours to 7.5 hours to fulfill state requirements for instructional time, and no classes will be held on Mondays. Parents will be offered childcare services on Mondays from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at a rate of $30 per child, per day. The district’s charter schools were given the option to move to a four-day week, but only one made the switch.

The shrinking school week contrasted with resources being invested into the district’s transportation department near the beginning of this year. In January, 11 new school buses were delivered. They were purchased as part of the district’s bus replacement program to assist with routes to a new high school opening this fall.  The DOE study found that district student transportation costs can be reduced by about 20 percent on a four-day school week plan.  “The capital, insurance, maintenance, and administrative costs remain relatively constant. Fuel, oil, salaries, and supervisory costs can be reduced. Transportation employees will have a reduction in net pay,” the study stated.

27J Schools said the primary reason for the change was financial. It expects to save between $1 million and $2 mllion in the first year of implementation, primarily due to reduced transportation, substitute, and utility costs.

I’m sure other states will be watching to see how this new schedule might work.  I’ll keep you posted.

For the second time, Minnesota officially recognized its school bus drivers, who safely transport more than 760,000 students to and from school each day.

To recognize the importance of pupil transporters, Gov. Mark Dayton proclaimed Feb. 28 as School Bus Driver Appreciation Day in Minnesota. School districts across the state celebrated the day by passing out thank-you cards made by students and providing food and beverages to bus drivers.

The Minnesota School Bus Operators Association (MSBOA) and Minnesota Association for Pupil Transportation (MAPT) teamed up to create School Bus Driver Appreciation Day as a way to encourage school leaders, parents, and students to celebrate the often overlooked profession.
 
Dr. Daniel Bittman, superintendent for Independent School District 728 in Elk River, expressed his appreciation for Minnesota bus drivers and the work they do — beyond just transporting students. “You are our unsung heroes,” Bittman said. “What you do on a day-to-day basis makes a difference for our kids and families — our kids in poverty, our kids who are struggling, our kids who just need a smile and who just need to know that they have a safe way to get to and from school. I could not do your job, and not a day goes by that I am not grateful.”

State Patrol noted that the 17,000 school bus drivers in the state transport 760,000 students to and from school each day, log 78 million miles annually in doing so, and are dedicated to student safety.

Driver appreciation should be an annual celebration in every state.  “Unsung heroes” is great term to use for all school bus drivers that keep our children safe each day. We can never thank them enough for what

In keeping up with the news on the authorization of stop-arm cameras on school buses, we found that the New York Association for Pupil Transportation (NYAPT) is calling on the state Legislature to authorize stop-arm cameras to enforce state law, which prohibits motorists from passing stopped school buses.

As presented by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the 2018-19 executive budget proposal provides for this authorization, and for the collection of fines based on images collected by stop-arm cameras. Additionally Cuomo said in January that this year he will work to increase the state’s fines for stop-arm running in an effort to enhance student safety.

NYAPT has urged senators and assembly members to support inclusion of the stop-arm cameras when they adopt a final state budget and that the bill would allow images collected on stop-arm cameras to be used in issuing summonses to motorists who illegally pass stopped school buses. These bills are currently under review by the transportation committee.

The NYAPT submitted a letter to all members of the Legislature, which is published in part below:

“Every day in our state, motorists illegally pass stopped school buses which have their red lights flashing some 50,000 times. Each time this occurs, those motorists are placing the children riding our school buses (some 2.3 million) at risk of injury or even death.  Yet enforcement of the law (Section 1174 of the Vehicle & Traffic Law) remains limited. The reality is that police officers cannot follow every school bus and our school bus drivers cannot document instances of illegal passing while they are driving our children.

“Now is time for New York state to enact a law that allows us to bring successful technology to New York to protect our children. Our children are, after all, the point of all we do in school bus safety.  We have worked proudly with Sen. Catharine Young and Assemblyman William Magnarelli in recent years to enact legislation that would achieve this objective and we thank them and their co-sponsors for their leadership and support.

The proposal in the executive budget allows for stop-arm cameras to be installed and deployed for safety. We urge inclusion of those provisions in your respective one-house budget bills and in the final budget you ultimately adopt.”

We will keep you up to date on furthur developments.

March 2, 2012 quickly became a more hectic day than usual for Henryville, Indiana, school bus driver Angel Perry. Two super-cells, thunderstorms with rotation and a prolonged updraft, bore down on the town located 20 miles north of Louisville, Kentucky. One of the storms had a history of tornados. While halfway through her route, radio traffic showed a tornado approaching. Angel returned to the school with 11 of her remaining students. After pulling into the school parking lot, she counted off the students as they disembarked. They were safe inside the school building when the tornado struck. All the students survived.

School bus drivers do not make policy decisions. They do what they’re told and get their children to and from school safely. That may sometimes place them on the road and in harm’s way. What follows is information that may help drivers facing a storm on the road:

Know your route.  A good driver knows their route. A great driver knows their students, their parents and who is home during the day.  Another idea is to locate churches and businesses with the capabilities of housing the students.

Know the terrain. Drivers should familiarize themselves with the physical terrain along their route. As a last resort, drivers should look for flat terrain far from trees, power lines, light poles and other falling hazards. Drivers must avoid overpasses and should be wary of sheltering in ditches as they may quickly fill with rainwater.

Know what to do. The transportation department should have emergency plans developed, and drivers must be familiar with them. The plans should include general steps for the driver.

Respond.  A local news station posted a link to Angel’s radio chatter. Throughout the incident she remained very calm and kept her voice controlled as to not frighten the children.

Maintain accountability. Drivers should always have an idea of how many children they have on board.

Recover.  A tornado leaves a lasting impact. The transportation director should arrange with local public safety agencies to provide Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) services to all fleet employees. This “psychological first aid” can assist drivers to cope with the stresses of a traumatic incident.

Just moments after Angel got her kids to safety, the tornado picked up her 33,000-pound school bus and threw it 300 yards down a hill into a diner. It is easy to imagine the tragic outcome had children still been on the bus.

Fueled by his design skills and his son’s love of school buses, a Kansas City man has conceived what could become the first school bus Lego set.

Nathan Roberts said he was surprised to discover recently that there has never been an official school bus Lego set. Being a fan of the classic plastic building bricks — and having a 4-year-old son who is fascinated by yellow buses — Roberts decided to design his own set. Roberts said that his 4-year-old son enjoys seeing yellow buses lined up at school when they pick up his older brother. “I think he particularly loves school buses because the color is so iconic and inviting,” Roberts said.

Inspired by his son’s bus zeal, the Lego enthusiast spent about five months off and on designing his school bus set, which uses a total of 572 pieces. The 10-passenger bus has a removable roof, a stop arm and a crossing arm that swing out, a hood that opens to reveal the engine, and even a fire extinguisher on board.

Roberts used a computer model to create images of the set concept, although he also assembled a physical brick version.  “It was important for me to actually build it,” he said, “because it’s hard to know what really works and looks good with only a digital version.”

After his “Classic School Bus” concept was fully fleshed out, Roberts submitted it to Lego Ideas, which lets fans pitch their ideas for new Lego sets. Proposals that attract at least 10,000 supporters qualify for review by a Lego board of designers and marketers. Those that are chosen by the board go into production and are sold around the world, according to the company’s website.

Some 25 million students nationwide begin and end their day with a trip on a school bus. Designed for safety, with flashing lights, giant mirrors, high seat backs and that bright yellow color, school buses keep more than 17 million cars away from school buildings every day.

While riding a bus to school is safer than riding in the family vehicle or walking, the National Safety Council supports the incorporation of lap and shoulder belts in school buses – and across multiple modes of transportation – to ensure the safest ride for children.

Since 2002, passenger lap and shoulder belts have been made available on school buses; California, Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York and Texas require them.

School buses are the safest way for students to travel, but children also need to do their part to stay alert and aware of their surroundings to prevent injury. NSC urges parents to teach their children the following safety rules for getting on and off the bus, and for exercising good behavior while riding.

Tips for Safety Boarding and On School Buses:
When waiting for the bus, stay away from traffic and avoid roughhousing or other behavior that can lead to carelessness
Do not stray onto the street, alleys or private property
Line up away from the street or road as the bus approaches
Wait until the bus has stopped and the door opens before approaching the bus
Use the handrail when boarding

Behavior on the Bus:
If seat belts are available on the bus, buckle up
Don’t speak loudly or make loud noises that could distract the driver
Stay in your seat
Don’t put your head, arms or hands out the window
Keep aisles clear of books and bags
Get your belongings together before reaching your stop
Wait for the bus to stop completely before getting up from your seat

Getting Off the Bus:
Use the handrail when exiting
If you have to cross in front of the bus, first walk at least 10 feet ahead until you can see the driver
Make sure the driver can see you
Wait for a signal from the driver before crossing
When the driver signals, look left, right, then left again. Walk across the road and keep an eye out for sudden traffic changes
If your vision is blocked, move to an area where you can see other drivers and they can see you
Do not cross the center line of the road until the driver signals it is safe
Stay away from the rear wheels of the bus at all times

More school-age pedestrians have been killed during the hour before and after school than any other time of day, according to NHTSA. And, although drivers are required by law to stop for a school bus when it’s loading or unloading passengers, they often don’t. Children should not rely on them to do so.

An upcoming free web seminar will let attendees know what they can do to protect their school buses and, most importantly, their students, in the event of a bus fire.

In response to recent research, there has been a bigger focus on, and adoption of, fire suppression technology on board school buses in the U.S in the last few years.

According to a study conducted by the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), most school bus fires start in the engine area, running gear, or wheel area of the vehicle.

The webinar will be presented by Fogmaker, a supplier of automated fire suppression systems in buses, and moderated by School Bus Fleet. It will be held Wednesday, March 14, at 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET.

The topics the speakers will discuss include:

•    The importance of an automatic fire suppression system.
•    The three key elements in a fire suppression system that eliminate thermal events in seconds.
•    How other school districts, fleets, and states are addressing engine fire suppression.
•    How transportation supervisors can protect the schools’ most valuable assets — the students.

To register for the webinar, go here.

To find out more about fire suppression systems, call Carolina Bus Sales, Inc at 864-461-7088.