I was driving to San Diego recently with my boyfriend’s aunt when a vehicle in the carpool lane of the freeway spun out of control and entered our lane, almost hitting us. Needless to say, the incident got my adrenaline pumping, and I was thankful when we ultimately arrived at our destination safely. 

The near-accident also got me thinking about frightening experiences. More specifically, since this is the pupil transportation industry, those that have occurred in your work environment.

In our recent “Heroes in School Transportation” feature, we profiled drivers who acted quickly and calmly in stressful situations, three of which involved guns, and one of which involved a bus fire.

But as you well know, frightening incidents don’t just occur when drivers are out on the road. Randy Mazie, director of the John Schee Transportation Center at Miami-Dade County Public Schools, chronicles several tense experiences during his time at the operation in “Adventures in Pupil Transportation” from 2010. These include bomb threats and an employee arrest at the facility, as well as dealing with challenging weather conditions. 

Moreover in 2008, Mike Connors of Brevard Public Schools in Cocoa, Fla., discussed with SBF the actions his department took to evacuate students and school staff as fires raged in the area.

Have you had any of these or similarly scary incidents at your operation? If so, how did you respond to them?

Also, were any policies or practices implemented or changed at your operation following the incidents?

Post a comment below or send an e-mail to info@schoolbusfleet.com.

Until next time,

Kelly Roher
Managing Editor