Student transportation provider Durham School Services donated a school bus to the Sound Beach Fire Department in New York for extrication safety training, which took place in late June. During the training, firefighters and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) simulated various school bus accident scenarios where they rescued victims, played by their junior firefighter members (local youth in the community). This donation is one of several made this summer to local fire departments in and around the Brookhaven community.

The donation to the Sound Beach Fire Department was made as part of Durham School Services’ company-wide Partners Beyond the Bus community-outreach program. The bus donation also helps to repurpose retired, non-electric vehicles from DSS’ fleets, which further contributes to our transition to alternative fuel-powered and zero-emission buses. Durham School Services’ plans on transitioning to an all zero-emission fleet by 2035.

“The fire department does a great deal for the community, so we are happy to help them out whenever possible, especially when it concerns the safety of the community and students,” said Sean Martin, Brookhaven general manager for DSS. “This bus donation is another way of ensuring the safety of our students. By utilizing a real school bus for their training, the Sound Beach Fire Department team can become more familiar with the structure of school buses, which will ideally aid in developing strategic action plans for emergency situations. We are happy to contribute to the safety and well-being of our students and community.”

“This bus donation is an essential training tool for us. It allows us to simulate real-life situations involving students and school bus incidents, resulting in better preparation for actual events,” said Darran Handshaw, Chief of Sound Beach Fire Department. “With the donated bus and help of our junior firefighter members, who acted as victims, our team was able to explore and execute different rescue strategies. We’d like to truly thank Durham School Services for their donation. Our team members were able to gain invaluable experience and knowledge that they can now utilize in real-life emergency situations.”