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wheels-r-us
New Member
1 Posts |
 Posted - 03/22/2002 : 06:03:16 AM
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I am a transportation director and am interested in adopting a policy for bus drivers to follow in the event that they are caught in a tornado while transporting students. I would like help from other bus drivers or directors that might already have a policy in effect. Thanks.
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mr.dave
Advanced Member
USA
414 Posts |
Posted - 03/22/2002 : 07:13:35 AM
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Our's is a large urban and suburban district. This year we had a tornado warning on the south border of our distict just as middle schools started loading. The drivers herded the students back into our 18 middle schools (much to the displeasure of the faculties, until they caught on). We were released seven hours later when the storms subsided. All buses on the road were directed to take cover in the closest school.
What other policy could there be than take cover and wait till it is safe to continue. It would be good to list other pulic buildings schoolbuses could use to safely ride out a storm. Also state appropiate disipline measures for drivers who ignore the take cover order. We want safe kids, not Rambo drivers.
I realise this policy is for geting caught in a tornado warning,not a tornado. If the bus is caught in a tornado, I suggest the prohibition on prayer be lifted.
shalom dave
Edited by - mr.dave on 03/22/2002 10:07:18 AM
Edited by - mr.dave on 09/02/2002 12:13:51 PM |
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tess
Senior Member
USA
85 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2002 : 09:25:29 AM
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I drive for a rural school district. Our district goes the length of the county. It is a long district, not one where the school is in the center of it. They have tornado drills in school but not on our buses. No one has mentioned what we are to do in the event of a tornado except for what we are taught in pre-service. Find a safe spot, pull over and evacuate the bus. I drive way out in the boonies and only have one safe spot that I would be able to take my students, a rural college that used to one of our schools in the 50's or 60's. They have a basement. I only hope that if I'm ever in that situation, I'm close to it. We don't have anyone monitoring a weather radio to tell us what's coming. We watch the weather before our afternoon routes if it's been bad, but once we're on the road, we're on our own. I would love to have someone monitor a radio so they could advise us as to what is coming. Maybe we could reassure our kids a little more when the sky is green and black if we were sure we wouldn't be coming upon any tornadoes.
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MamaLoca
Advanced Member
USA
400 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2002 : 1:08:31 PM
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Tornados aren't a common occurance here in Upstate NY, but we do have the National Weather service channel on our two way radios so that we can monitor weather conditions should the need arise.
Smile, it makes people wonder what you're up to.
http://www.canandaiguaschools.org/bus/ |
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Rich
Top Member
United States
5768 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2002 : 2:05:12 PM
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I have a Weather Alert Radio in my house plugged in the wall that will sound an alarm in an event of a weather emergancy, such as sudden severe thunderstorms, or even a tornado!
They make these special radios for buses... so I believe that ALL buses in the future should have these. They are an inexpensive way to help possibly save a life.
My mom was even given a discount on the home insurance for getting the little radio. 
"Blue Bird... Riding High Above the Clouds!"
Click over to my site:
http://museummiddle.tripod.com |
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mr.dave
Advanced Member
USA
414 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2002 : 07:47:57 AM
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It is a good thing you are adopting a policy. It also seems you are way out in frount on this, as the response is so lite. Please let us know how you come out on this, as you appear to be the leader.
I have never heard of a bus being caught in a tornado. This is either due to my lack of knoledge or extreme good fortune. It is not due to our planing or skill. It is best not to tempt fate.
shalom dave
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TCL
New Member
1 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2002 : 08:12:40 AM
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Wheels,
Here is a copy of a reminder that the Transportation Dept. has recently sent to the Principals of our District. Obviously our policy is similar to Mr Dave's...
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Friday, April 12, 2002 7:21 AM
To: PRINCIPALS
Subject:
Hello,
As you know the students are not to board buses if a tornado warning has been issued for Polk County. Also, it has been district practice for buses to seek shelter at the nearest school until the warning is over. I would like to thank you for your past assistance in sheltering our bused students.
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Stevebus42
Advanced Member
USA
363 Posts |
Posted - 04/20/2002 : 6:09:02 PM
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The old thinking was that any school was safe in a tornado. I drive for Norman Public schools in Norman Oklahoma with is a very short distance from the Moore area which had an elementary school distroyed in a Tornado not to long ago. Our district has done some engineering evauation on some of our schools and found them inadiquate for storm shelters.
I would recommend that any tornado plan include an evauation of all school buildings to determine their fitness for use as shelters. some of the recomendations for shelter have proven to be not good.
I would suggest that you talk to the weathermen at our Oklahoma City TV stations they will be happy to work with any school district. The National Storm Center in Norman is another good point of contact.
Edited by - Stevebus42 on 04/20/2002 6:11:10 PM |
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Nell65
Senior Member
USA
74 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2002 : 08:05:54 AM
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Hi,
I know this is way late, but I had to respond to this.
I worked for a district in Upstate NY when a bulletin came in from the National Weather service. There was a tornado warning in the area of the district I drove for, a funnel cloud had been sighted. No one knew exactly where it was either.
We had been on the road for about 25 minutes into our middle school runs for the afternoon. It had been very dark and threatening at the 2pm dismissal. I had 1 stop left. We were told to find a safe area to pull our buses off the road and await further instructions. Within a space of 2 minutes, the storm was on us, and I had NO where to safely pull over. I got to the last students house on a main road just as the winds hit. He went running and I had no choice but to drive to the Catholic school that was 3 miles from there. All the windows were open on the bus and water was coming from everywhere and I was soaked.
Along the road on either side were trees of 90 feet and no where to pull off. I got to the school and all the kids were in the halls crouched. The storm blew through in 15 min. But it was a total mess getting everyone home that afternoon.
I had to go to the garage to exchange buses toward the end of my route to get a van because I wasn't able to take the 72 passenger bus on the Taconic Parkway. All my roads that I normally drove on were blocked by downed trees. The only way to get kids home was by going on the parkway.
The policy for anytype of weather situation was to pull off to a safe area and find shelter if warranted. Not always an easy task. I think the smartest investment the district ever did was buy that $25 dollar weather radio from Radio Shack.
Nell
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KMM
Advanced Member
USA
271 Posts |
Posted - 09/02/2002 : 1:54:51 PM
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Here is our policy:
(1) During a tornado watch, school buses should continue to operate as normal but with caution.
(2) During a tornado warning, students shall remain at school if school has not been dismissed. If school has been dismissed, the nearest public facility should be used as cover. If a threat of a tornado strike is immediate (there is one within sight) and there is no time to take cover in a public facility, the driver shall drive to the side of the road and evacuate the children taking them to a private resident in a center room or basement (This is not preferred but acceptable), or about 200 feet from the bus to a ditch, culvert or ravine. At this time, instruct the children to lie face down with their hands over their heads. Most importaintly, make sure they are far away from the bus enough that the bus can not topple on top of them.
Our school district has the national weather service programmed into the two way radio's. The driver can change the channel to moniter weather as needed. The supervisor had usually been on top of this task for us in the past. It is a nice feature to have when traveling at night on trips during bad weather or on weekends when there is not a supervisor on duty in the office.
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kd4jfd
Top Member
USA
1170 Posts |
Posted - 09/04/2002 : 4:51:34 PM
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At one of our safety meetings, we were told to keep the kids inside the bus and have them get under the seats as it was safer than having the bus land on students.
349 - A repair work in progress! |
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BBrooks
Active Member
USA
11 Posts |
Posted - 09/05/2002 : 3:47:20 PM
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We just had a tornado warning last week here in Minot, North Dakota. The warning occurred at 5:00 pm. I only had four Headstart buses out and the varsity soccer team practicing at a remote field. Our procedure is to go to the nearest school for shelter. Luckly, someone was in the building and the doors were open. My after actions report on this incident contained several areas that require improvement:
1. My new handheld radio has insufficent range to communicate to my drivers
2. The district is purchasing Weather alert Radios with(SAME) technology for each school since several principals stated that they did not hear the sirens. About $60 at Radio Shack.
3. The district is going to install lock boxes at each school and each driver will have a key in the event the building is closed.
4. The soccer coach will also have a key to the nearest school.
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A Bus Driver
Active Member
USA
36 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2002 : 8:25:33 PM
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Our policy here is to not release the students if there is a tornado warning. If the warning is issued while students are on the bus we go to the nearest school and take shelter there.
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MrBusDriver
Senior Member
USA
189 Posts |
Posted - 09/19/2002 : 2:47:50 PM
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quote:
At one of our safety meetings, we were told to keep the kids inside the bus and have them get under the seats as it was safer than having the bus land on students.
349 - A repair work in progress!
Someone needs to get your safety director a double espresso, and tell them to wake up! While there is no 100% fool-proof plan, seeking shelter in any building is better than having them stay in the bus. I would even be tempted to stop and ask a stranger to let the kids come into their basement versus remain in the bus.
I'd like to see some of the linebackers from our football team attempt to get under the seats... HA!
Brian J. Whitta
Fostoria Community Schools
419-436-4105
FOSTORIA_BW@noeca.esu.k12.oh.us |
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School Bus Tornado Policy
