52% of transportation


directors and supervisors said their district trains with first responders for school bus emergency preparedness. (Out of 54 responses.)


also offers exercises and workshops. Among them: active shooter/ assailant on a bus. Meanwhile, Dr. Susan King, special education professor at


George Washington University and a consultant, noted during a recent First Student webinar that it could take 30 minutes to an hour to diffuse a situation occurring on a school bus, which aside from the safety ramifications equates to lost instructional time. Will McDermott, head of student services for First Student, noted the transportation provider was able to decrease negative behaviors by 27 percent yearly through tweaking the company’s philosophy and creating a training and development system. Factors include key initiatives such as collaboration, interven-


tions and accommodations. “If you look at the behavior that’s occurring in and outside of schools, it’s now occurring on the bus, and there have been bus drivers who have experienced more aggressive behaviors than ever before,” McDermott noted. Missouri’s Jones, a U.S. Army veteran, summed it up this way:


“You fight how you practice. You train how you fight. I believe the same with safety. If you train for those occasions, when those occasions do occur, they usually run smoother,” he concluded. “You implement your training and how to respond to these issues rather than trying to figure it out at that moment in time, because we’re typically talking about seconds and minutes to react and respond.” ●


Proven reliability


Seamless transportation experiences that families and communities can count on.


Trusted relationships


Relationships built on a genuine understanding of the unique needs of everyone we serve.


Connected technology


Innovative solutions that free up local teams to focus on what matters most.


Customized school transportation solutions tailored to fit your unique community


36 School Transportation News • FEBRUARY 2025


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