Firefighters use old school bus for rescue training

PALM COAST, Fla. — Firefighters here are getting hands-on training in making school bus rescues this week using a donated school bus that is no longer in service, The Daytona Beach News-Journal reports.

Flagler County Public Schools donated an out-of-service bus and made its mechanics and safety personnel available to answer questions for the training, which began on Monday and will continue through Wednesday, according to the newspaper. The training is designed to familiarize rescue crews with challenges specific to school buses, in the event that they need to extricate passengers from similar vehicles.

The training, which concentrates on different parts of the bus in each session, includes a discussion of characteristics of the bus, entry and exit points and proper extrication techniques, and the crew practices taking the vehicle apart using power saws, axes and other tools, The Daytona Beach News-Journal reports. Lt. Gary Potter, training officer for the department, told the newspaper that school buses are “built like tanks, so they’re a totally different animal than any other vehicle.”

Potter added that the training is particularly beneficial to newer crew members who haven’t had the opportunity for training on a school bus yet. He also said that there are classes available, but they are costly.

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