Student transportation provider Durham School Services donated a school bus to the Farmingville Fire Department in New York to train emergency medical services (EMS) staff and firefighters for school bus related emergencies. The fire department plans on simulating various emergency scenarios with students that will allow EMS and firefighters to practice evacuation procedures. Also, after all training is done, the fire department plans to examine the bus to better understand its construction and makeup, which will allow them to learn about the effectiveness and limitations of their extrication tools.

The donation to the Farmingville Fire Department was made as part of Durham School Services’ company-wide Partners Beyond the Bus community outreach program and is one of several that have been recently donated to local fire departments in New York. These bus donations also help to repurpose retired, non-electric vehicles from DSS’ fleets, which further contributes to DSS’ transition to alternative fuel-powered and zero-emission buses. Durham School Services plans on transitioning to an all zero-emission fleet by 2035.

“Our team is always seeking ways to give back and help the community. With this bus donation, just like the others we’ve donated recently, we know how much of a positive impact it can have on the safety and well-being of our students, community, and environment. We are able to give a new life to the buses while also reducing our carbon footprint, so that is another plus,” said Sean Martin, Brookhaven general manager. “The Farmingville Fire Department does so much to keep the community, including Durham, safe. We are glad to have this opportunity to provide them with a much-needed tool for their safety training.”

“The training sessions thus far have provided significant, practical training for both our EMS team and firefighters that in turn benefit the community we serve,” said Chief Dominic Russo of the Farmingville Fire Department. “It is important for our teams to train and simulate emergency situations as much as possible to gain the needed experience to respond appropriately and effectively when the actual situation arises. We’d like to thank Durham School Services for reaching out to us to offer and provide this invaluable donation to the community.”