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SEARCHFirst Student’s alternative transportation division unveils safety and technology advancements for students as growth surge continues to impact districts, focusing on students with special needs, experiencing homelessness and those that are hard to serve.
First Student's FirstAlt program aims to help make alternative transporation options safer and more effecient for school districts.
Photo: First Student
First Student announced the latest advancements in safety and technology within its alternative transportation division, FirstAlt. First Student is setting a new standard for reliable and safe transportation solutions for both districts and students across the country.
FirstAlt was launched in 2022 and it has grown exponentially, providing vulnerable students with reliable, safe rides to and from school.
Since its debut, FirstAlt has partnered with more than 100 school districts across 16 states, introduced the FirstView Parent app, and equipped vehicles with high-definition cameras with advanced safety technology.
The FirstView parent app provides parents and districts with a real-time view of their student’s trip events, including the student’s location, arrival and departure alerts, trip status, and a view of the student’s upcoming schedules and driver and vehicle information.
More than 12,000 schools currently leverage FirstView to track their bus routes and push communications to more than 571,000 families who have downloaded the app.
FirstAlt’s commitment to safety and innovation continues with the integration of Samsara dash cams for their alternative vehicle fleet. The advanced cameras provide real-time incident monitoring and capture detailed footage to ensure that every trip is recorded for enhanced safety and accountability.
The technology supports immediate responses to any incidents and offers valuable insights to help continually improve transportation services.
By utilizing Samsara’s dash cam technology, FirstAlt is setting a new standard in student safety bringing peace of mind to families and school districts while driving innovation in transporting students with special transportation needs.
“Our commitment to safety and innovation is unwavering – that’s why we are proud to provide schools, students and their families advanced technologies to support all students, regardless of vehicle type,” said Gregg Prettyman, VP of FirstAlt. “We launched FirstAlt at TSD two years ago and, in that short amount of time, we have proved that districts are looking for an all-in-one transportation solution that combines reliable transportation with rigorous safety and cutting-edge technology. The results have been inspiring, and we intend to keep advancing the transportation experience for all students.”
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