Webinar to target school transportation crisis management

The free, Zonar-sponsored webinar next week will discuss school transportation participation in crisis management and ways to prepare for the unthinkable. Former Superintendent John Barry will explain how Aurora Public Schools’ transportation department assisted in recovery efforts after the 2012 Aurora shooting.

NAPT News & Views — Like fire drills, shooter drills are vital

We need to develop a proactive approach — meaning run purposefully, hide intelligently and fight fiercely, in that order (fight only as a last resort) — to an active shooter scenario and teach it to everyone, especially students. The drill should be done in conjunction with local law enforcement personnel.

Houston school bus staff trains on survival rescue

More than 1,200 school bus drivers and attendants are taking part in mock emergency drills to prepare them for a variety of crises. The drills simulate the effects of a fire on a school bus, an armed intruder and a wreck involving a train, among other scenarios.

School buses loaded with supplies for tornado victims

Student transportation provider Durham School Services is collecting emergency supplies for the victims of the devastating storm in Oklahoma. Students from Guthrie, Okla., have also brought a school bus stocked with supplies to Moore, which was hit by a tornado that was more than a mile wide.

Minneapolis district builds mobile command center

Minneapolis district builds mobile command center

Minneapolis Public Schools’ plant operations and transportation services team spent four years converting an older school bus into the mobile command center. It’s outfitted with such equipment as a flat-screen TV, two-way radios and laptops, and it’s designed to be used as a command post in a major emergency that prohibits the district’s buses from successfully transporting students.

Bolstering communications with digital two-way radios

In a recent SBF webinar sponsored by Motorola, speakers discussed benefits and best practices in using digital two-way radios for school transportation. Here’s a recap of the discussion, along with access to the archived webinar.

School bus drivers aid in Boston evacuation

After the explosions at last week's Boston Marathon, eight school bus drivers from AA Transportation stepped up to shuttle people away from the site. Company President Ron Ernenwein commends the drivers for their actions, noting that "not one person opted to go home, complained the assignment was too hard or took a break after the 18th hour of shuttling."

Stormwaters strand school buses in Midwest

In Oswego, Ill., a school bus slid into a ditch along a washed-out section of road. Four students and the driver were evacuated from the stuck bus. Near Ava, Mo., a school bus became temporarily stranded in an area between two low water crossings that became inundated.

REMINDER: Webinar to offer tips for 2-way radios

The free web seminar, “Digital Two-Way Radios: Bolstering Communications, Security & Compliance,” will be presented by SCHOOL BUS FLEET and Motorola on Wednesday. Topics to be discussed include security and emergency preparedness, clear communication and regulation compliance.