Durham Donates School Bus for Extrication Training

Durham School Services recently donated one of its school buses to a Missouri fire department for a school bus extrication training.

Firefighters from the Maplewood Fire Department teamed up with Clayton, Brentwood, and Richmond Heights fire departments to use the bus to review lifting techniques and how to safely evacuate students in the event of an emergency, according to a news release from Durham.

“It is always an honor to work and partner with our local fire departments to provide a bus for their emergency training; we had one available that had been decommissioned for their use at our location in Mt. Vernon, Illinois,” said Lucy Kalkman, senior vice president and chief operating officer for Durham School Services central region. “The possibility of an accident involving a bus and students is rare … and over 100 firefighters from four fire departments in Central Missouri learned how to tackle the unique situation.”

The 24-hour training program spanned across a total of six days, providing the firefighters with the opportunity to learn about the design and composition of a school bus, as well as how to apply their skills and tools to the vehicle, according to Durham.

“This training could not occur without the support of companies like Durham School Services, who are willing to donate old, decommissioned buses,” said Lieutenant Matt Wilcox of Maplewood Fire Department. “We thank them very much for their generosity. We also thank Terry’s Towing for their assistance. It will allow us to be ready in the event an accident does occur.”

Terry’s Towing provided complimentary transportation of the decommissioned bus for the training, according to Durham.