BackgroundA bus evacuation drill is to be done once
per school year in the fall (September or October) and entered through the
Horizon Safe and Caring App. These evacuation drills need to be scheduled and
reported by the Principal. It is the school bus driver's role to perform
the evacuation and all school bus drivers must participate. It is
important that all students, not just those who rely on bus transportation to
get to school every day, participate in the evacuation drills, as all students
may ride a school bus on educational trips or to extra-curricular activities at
some point in the school year. In addition, every trip that is not
considered regular daily transportation must start out with the school bus
driver providing an overview to all passengers of the evacuation procedures and
expectations should an emergency occur while on this trip. The
verification that this is occurring will be reported by the supervising staff
that is in charge of submitting the AF-559
Bus Roster Form.pdf.Procedures1.
There are three âstandardâ ways to evacuate a school bus, although other
methods can be devised for extreme situations. The three methods are:
1.1.
Everyone exits through the front entrance
door;
1.2.
Everyone exits through the back emergency door; and
1.3.
Front half exits through the front door and rear half exits through the
rear door.
2. A
safe evacuation in the shortest time possible is the objective, regardless of
which method is used. The procedures that students are expected to follow in
the event of an emergency must be explained and practiced.
3. In
conducting a front door evacuation drill:
3.1.
Stop the bus, set parking brake, and remove the key. Leave the bus in
gear;
3.2.
Open the door, face the children, and get their attention;
3.3.
Give the command: âEmergency drill, remain seated, front evacuationâ;
and
3.4.
Designate a student to guide passengers to an assigned place of safety.
3.4.1.
Helpers can be trained to assist the driver with evacuating and leading
the students to a safe position away from the bus; and
3.4.2.
Another helper can be appointed to count and assist passengers as they
exit.
3.5.
Position yourself between the first occupied seats facing the front of
the bus.
3.5.1.
Starting with your right-hand seat, tap the shoulder of the student
nearest the aisle to indicate that those occupants shall move out. Say,
âWalk-donât runâ; and
3.5.2.
Hold your hand before the occupantâs left-hand seat in a restraining
gesture.
3.6.
When the students in the right-hand seat have moved forward far enough
to clear the aisle, dismiss the occupants of the left-hand seats;
3.7.
Continue evacuation procedures as described, right and left seats
alternately, until the bus is empty;
3.8. When
the last seat is empty, walk to the front of the bus checking to see that
everyone is out; and
3.9. After
the drill, compliment the students, ask for feedback and discuss possible
improvements for the next drill.
4. To
conduct a rear door evacuation:
4.1. Stop
the bus, set parking brake, remove key. Leave bus in gear;
4.2. Face
the children and get their attention;
4.3. Give
the command, âEmergency drill, remain seated, REAR evacuationâ;
4.4. Designate
two trained older students to assist others out the rear door and another to
lead the students to a safe position away from the bus;
4.5. Quickly
move to the rear of the bus and open the door;
4.6. Position
student helpers on the ground on either side of the rear door;
4.7. Position
yourself between the last occupied seats, facing the rear of the bus;
4.8. Starting
with the right-hand seat tap the shoulder of the student nearest the aisle to
indicate that those occupants shall move out. Say âWalk- donât runâ;
4.9. When
the students in the right-hand seat have moved forward far enough to clear the
aisle, dismiss the occupants of the left-hand seats;
4.10. Continue
evacuation procedures as described, right and left seats alternately, until the
bus is empty;
4.11.
When the last seat is empty, walk to the rear of the bus checking to see
that everyone is out; and
4.12.
After the drill compliment the students, ask for feedback and discuss
possible improvements for the next drill.
5. To
conduct an evacuation using both doors:
5.1.
Evacuations using both front and rear doors should also be practiced;
and
5.2.
Additional student helpers will be needed to assist with exiting from
both doors and ensuring that students move to a safe place once outside the
bus.
6. Those
who supervise the evacuation drills should consider:
6.1.
Safety of children is most important, and must be considered first;
6.2.
All drills should be supervised by the principal or other persons
responsible;
6.3.
Bus drivers are responsible for the safety of the students; however in
an emergency, the driver might be incapacitated and not able to direct the
student emergency evacuation. School patrol members, appointed students,
or adult monitors should assist in these drills. It is important to have
regular student leaders available who know how to:
6.3.1.
Turn off ignition switch and put bus in gear;
6.3.2.
Set emergency brake;
6.3.3.
Summon help when and where needed;
6.3.4. Use a fire axe or kick-out windows;
6.3.5. Set out reflectors;
6.3.6. Open and close doors;
6.3.7. Account for all students;
6.3.8. Help small children off bus; and
6.3.9 Perform other assignments.
6.4. âEmergency
drillsâ should be organized in a manner similar to fire drills and should be
conducted regularly in schools;
6.5. Drills
should be held in a safe area, such as on school property;
6.6. Conduct
drills exactly as if there was a real emergency. Do not permit children
to take lunch boxes, books, etc., with them when they leave the bus â getting
the child off the bus safely in the shortest time possible and in an orderly
fashion is the objective of a school bus evacuation drill; and
6.7. Pupils
should go to a distance of a least 200 feet (65 meters) from the bus in an
âemergency drillâ and remain there in a group until further instructions are
given by the leader.
7. Usually,
students remain on the bus during an emergency. However, two situations require
the evacuation of the bus:
7.1. Fire
or Danger of Fire: A bus should be stopped and evacuated immediately if the
engine or any portion of the bus is on fire. You must evacuate if:
7.1.1.
Passengers should move a distance of 200 feet (65 meters) or more from
the bus and remain until the danger has passed; and
7.1.2.
An immobile bus near an existing fire or near a fuel spill should be
considered as in âdanger of fireâ, and students should be evacuated.
7.2.
Unsafe Position: In the event that a bus is immobile for any reason, you
must determine immediately whether it is safe for passengers to remain in the
bus. You must evacuate if:
7.2.1.
The bus is stopped on or within 5 feet (1.5 meters) of railroad tracks;
7.2.2.
There is any danger of sliding into deep water or over an embankment; and
7.2.3.
There is danger of another collision. In normal traffic conditions, the
bus should be visible for a distance of 300 feet (100 meters) or more. A
position over a hill or around a curve where such visibility does not exist
should be considered reason for evacuation.
8. Drivers or other employees who
come upon an emergency scene including a collision may need to take the lead to
organize others to render assistance.
8.1.
A collision scene is usually chaotic;
8.2.
Most people who find themselves at a collision (excluding the injured)
would like to help, but often do not know what to do. Unorganized, they
tend to cause congestion and confusion. However, if a leader will take
charge and approach them in a calm, firm manner, they can assist in bringing
the situation under control by performing the following tasks:
8.2.1.
Setting reflectors and protecting the scene;
8.2.2.
Notifying police, medical, and school authorities;
8.2.3.
Directing traffic;
8.2.4. Rendering first aid
assistance;
8.2.5. Obtaining blankets,
water, bandages, etc.; and
8.2.6. Supervising
students.
8.3. To
maximize your chances of gaining cooperation and getting the job at hand done,
the following points are suggested for organizing others to assist you:
8.3.1. Remain
calm. This will instill confidence and increase the chances of their following
your instructions;
8.3.2. Select responsible,
mature-looking individuals to help;
8.3.3. Ask for their help
with a specific task in a firm and âcommandingâ tone;
8.3.4. Make your request
briefly, but clearly, keeping to the point;
8.3.5. Ask your assistants
to repeat the directions back to you to ensure they clearly understand what is
required; and
8.3.6. Upon completion of
the task, have the assistants report back to you. (e.g.: Assistant: âI called
the police! They will send an ambulance and be here in 10 minutesâ.)
This step is important to ensure that vital tasks get done.
9. Bus
patrols can be established at the beginning of the school year to assist with
the safety of buses.
9.1. Students
who participate in these bus patrols will assist in the safe transportation of
students in the following ways:
9.1.1.
It helps ensure that the driver will have assistance in an emergency
situation;
9.1.2.
If a driver is incapacitated by a collision, there will be a responsible
person to take control of the situation; and
9.1.3. Efficient evacuation of a
school bus requires the participation of more than one person.
9.2. The requirement to be a bus
patrol member is maturity and a responsible attitude. It is best if at
least one patrol member lives near the end of the school bus route so this
person is on the bus and able to be of assistance if required.
9.3. School bus patrol members
should be well trained in evacuation procedures.
10. In
the event of a collision, there are four authorities that drivers must contact
in the following order of priority:
10.1. 911 (where services
exist);
10.2.
Medical;
10.3.
Police; and
10.3.
School.
Reference: Saskatchewan
Safety Council School Bus Evacuation Procedures
June
26, 2012
April 15, 2019