More than 1,100 bus drivers and attendants at Houston Independent School District took part in a back-to-school training program called “Safety Expo.” Hands-on activities included evacuating a school bus on fire (as simulated by a smoke machine).
PHOTOS: Texas district’s hands-on school bus training event
More than 1,100 bus drivers and attendants at Houston Independent School District (HISD) took part in a back-to-school training program called “Safety Expo,” which was held Aug. 4 to 14.
The training included specifics on how to safely evacuate students who use wheelchairs.
Student management was another topic that factored into the hands-on training at HISD.
HISD Transportation Services partnered with the HISD Police Department Gang Task Force to train the school bus drivers and attendants on gang awareness.
The HISD Safety Expo also included sessions on post-trip inspections, railroad crossing safety, hurricane preparedness, first aid and green driving.
For the training event, HISD Transportation Services partnered with American Red Cross, Operation Lifesaver, the HISD Police Department Gang Task Force, the Houston Fire Department, and Houston Health and Human Services.
One of the more dramatic hands-on activities was evacuating a school bus on fire.
In partnership with the Houston Fire Department, thick smoke created by a smoke machine was pumped into school buses, significantly reducing visibility.
HISD drivers and attendants had to locate simulated children on board and then safely evacuate by crawling down the aisle of the bus.
Graffiti was simulated on a school bus as part of a training session on gang awareness at HISD.