NAPT releases video on safety, security

ALBANY, N.Y. — The National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) has released an informational video that highlights the successes of the U.S. school bus community while at the same time pushes for government funding for enhanced security.

“Morning in America” features uplifting images of school buses, children and parents and emphasizes the convenience of the service, as well as its unparalleled safety record.

Smiling, earnest parents watch their children get on the bus in the morning. “Thanks goodness for the school bus,” they say. “It makes my life easier.”

The 10-minute video emphasizes the hard work performed by transportation personnel in the early morning to keep buses on schedule and in good repair.

But the video also points out the need for heightened security in a post-9/11 world and urges parents to let their elected officials know that the enhancement of pupil transportation security requires additional funding from government sources.

Mike Martin, NAPT’s executive director, said the video was partly designed to “send a message to Congress” about the need for funding of school bus security.

“It’s an outgrowth of what we did in Cincinnati,” Martin said, referring to the NAPT’s annual meeting last November in which a school bus was blown up as a dramatic example of a potential terrorist attack.

“We’re going to send copies of the video to all members of Congress and key staff members and encourage them to take a look at it and contact us,” Martin said.

Martin is featured in the video along with Steve Kalmes, NAPT president, and Len Bernstein, the association’s president-elect. The video also features Percy Abbott, vice president of safety at First Student Inc., and Don Carnahan, vice president of Zonar Systems.

The production of the video was largely subsidized by Zonar Systems. Use of its handheld pre- and post-trip inspection device as a security tool is featured in the video.

The video can be downloaded from the NAPT’s Website at www.napt.org.