How to Improve School Bus Safety Through Training, Technology

In Liberty, Mo., an intruder made his way onto a school bus filled with students. The bus driver followed training protocol and was able to get the man off the bus. That same intruder then tried to get on a second school bus but the driver also followed their training. Police were dispatched to the area and the suspect was taken into custody. No one was hurt.

This is just one example where school bus driver training mitigated a potentially catastrophic incident. Campus Safety spoke with Jeff Baird, a former transportation manager for the Liberty Public School District 53, about the importance of school bus driver training to keep students, bus drivers, and other motorists safe.

In our chat, Baird also discussed how a technology solution used at the school district has aided in investigations and bus driver retention, and is also used for everyday bus tasks.

Additional topics covered include:

• Challenges Baird faced as transportation manager (5:04)
• Some school bus policy and procedure must-haves (10:30)
• Other school bus safety solution capabilities that enhance student safety (13:58)
• An incident where video surveillance was crucial to an investigation (18:10)
• What Baird thinks are some must-haves for school bus safety technology solutions (19:00)
• What Baird wishes he knew in his role as transportation manager that would have helped him do his job even better (21:13)


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