Bus Yard Safety, Inside and Out
Physical security such as fences and video surveillance, in addition to providing your drivers and other staff with ID badges and safety training, can go a long way in securing your bus yard.
Garfield School District Re-2’s bus yard is fully fenced in and monitored using Bensoftware’s SecuritySpy video surveillance software.
“We have a close working relationship with our local police department,” Morgan explains. “They certainly keep a close eye on all of the district’s facilities.”
In addition, the maintenance department has designated staff to regularly check the facility for open doors and other problems.
Niagara Wheatfield’s yard and garage are fully fenced and lighted, and the garage is equipped with a security alarm system. A video surveillance system is monitored in the transportation office and in the dispatcher office as well.
“The camera basically sweeps in a standard sweep pattern, and it photographs a variety of points in the bus garage parking lot and the employee parking lot,” Dallessandro says. “I believe it carries 48 hours of video back-up.”
Fairfax County has installed AVL on all its buses so they can be tracked if stolen. The buses are parked at several school sites, which allows the schools’ video surveillance to be used to monitor them. At the transportation office, the doors are monitored by a security system so that intrusions can be detected after hours.
“Our school security staff is advised of our regular parking locations — on and off of school property — so they can include these in their patrol schedules,” Parker says.
Prepare for emergencies
Even if you’ve done everything right in your bus yard, bad things can still happen. This is why it is important to train staff to act appropriately in emergency situations.
Drivers for Garfield receive training on fuel fires, as the fueling site for buses is in the front of the yard.
“We do provide training each year on suspicious activity in the yard and along their route,” Morgan says. “If they have any concerns, they can contact the mechanic on duty, the driver trainer or director. We also have the ‘Eyes and Ears’ training program, which informs the public that all of our buses can be a safe haven in the community. “
Parker says that Fairfax County includes general yard safety reminders in its newsletters and team meetings. Its “School Bus Watch” program puts an emphasis on monitoring and reporting suspicious activity.
“All buses are equipped with two-way radios. All staff is trained in the use of radios,” Parker adds. “A variety of scenarios are used during training, including tornado, bomb, general terrorism awareness and hostage awareness. Emergency evacuation drills are conducted at least twice a year.”
Furthermore, the state of New York requires school bus drivers to complete three emergency drills annually. Because of this, Niagara Wheatfield drivers “have extensive experience in evacuation, using the fire extinguisher and reporting incidents on the radio,” Dallessandro says. “Those skills that they learn from the three bus drills annually carry over to their role here at the bus yard.”
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