NAPT News & Views — NTSB official, Carrollton film on tap for 2013 Summit

NTSB Vice Chairman Christopher A. Hart will headline the NAPT/NASDPTS joint session. Emmy-nominated writer and historian Daniel Blake Smith will present a screening of the film “Impact: After the Crash,” a reenactment of the catastrophic 1988 bus crash in Carrollton, Ky., that shares inspirational stories of survivors.  

Fire suppression system receives UL certification

FMNA — formerly Fogmaker North America — receives the Underwriters Laboratories certification for its water mist Automatic Fire Suppression System. The certification, which included both system and component-level testing, focused on life cycle operation, environmental tests, product performance and overall durability.

Wheel end assembly cited in school bus fire

A fire on a Blue Bird propane school bus on Monday likely originated in a wheel end assembly and did not compromise the propane fuel tanks, an independent fire investigator finds. There was no one on the bus at the time of the fire, and the engine was off.

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.

Carrollton bus crash survivor points to the positives

It has been 25 years since the fiery Kentucky bus crash that killed 27 people. Jason Booher, now a high school administrator and coach, recounts his narrow escape from the burning bus and discusses the safety improvements that stemmed from the tragedy.

Kentucky transportation secretary pushed for increased bus safety

Milo D. Bryant, who served as the state’s transportation secretary under Gov. Wallace Wilkinson in the 1980s, passed away last week at the age of 82. Bryant led a bus safety task force that recommended various improvements to school buses and driver training following the fatal 1988 school bus crash in Carrollton.

Maine school bus damaged in fire

No one is injured in the blaze, but the Portland Public Schools bus sustains an estimated $35,000 in damage. The district says that an employee was patching the bus' seats using tape, liquid vinyl and a heat gun when the fire began.

Overturned bus training an ‘eye-opener’ for staff

More than 80 people in Van Buren County, Mich., participate in an emergency training event that shows them what it feels like to be in an overturned school bus as well as one filled with smoke. Transportation Supervisor Mark Niewoonder shares details on the hands-on event and how it changed staff members’ perceptions.

Emergency Training in an Overturned Bus

New standard for fire suppression systems in buses

SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden launched the project in 2005 with the objective of creating a safer environment for passengers and bus drivers worldwide. In addition to the new standard for fire suppression systems, the institute has established a voluntary certification/quality mark.