PHILADELPHIA — A facility that trains dogs for search-and-rescue operations now has a valuable new training tool: a school bus from the First Student fleet.

First Student recently donated a retired bus to the Penn Vet Working Dog Center in Philadelphia.

The center trains dogs in the areas of detection, including sniffing out explosives and locating missing people. The center added the school bus to its rubble pile, which is used to train dogs for search-and-rescue operations. Previously, this bus had been used to transport students in Newtown, Pennsylvania.

“There is nothing more important than the safety of the students we transport, and we fully support organizations that strive to ensure the safety of our community," said Ursula Rinas, First Student location manager in Newtown. “We are thankful our retired bus could serve yet another educational purpose.”