Emergency procedures, incidents, and collision response
Protect, warn, then treat
Emergency response follows a fixed order: stop safely, secure the vehicle, protect and warn, then care for people. If a fire starts, stop immediately, shut off the engine, set the parking brake, evacuate away from traffic and upwind, and only then attempt to fight a small fire with the extinguisher while someone calls 911. Know where every exit is - front door, rear door, roof hatch, and emergency-release windows - and how to operate each. Practise the evacuation order: able-bodied passengers first to help others, then those needing assistance, then a sweep for anyone left.
For a collision: stop, protect the scene with triangles or flares where safe, check for injuries, call emergency services, and exchange required information. Do not move an injured person unless there is immediate danger. Report the collision to police and the carrier as required, and complete the incident report before the end of the shift - facts, conditions, damage, injuries, and witnesses.
Mechanical emergencies: for a blowout, hold the wheel firmly and decelerate gradually; for brake loss, downshift and use the spring brake carefully; for a stuck throttle, shift to neutral and brake; if a wheel drops off the pavement, slow down before steering back on.
Traps: candidates often choose to fight the fire first or move the injured; the correct order is evacuate and warn first. Another trap is forgetting to secure the bus before evacuating - it must not roll.
Rule of thumb
Stop, secure, warn, evacuate, then treat - and count heads twice.
Commercial licensing, records, and regulatory requirements
Know what the paperwork proves
A Class 2 licence lets you drive a bus with seating for more than 25 people including the driver, and it carries conditions: a valid medical certificate, correct endorsements, and compliance with the Motor Vehicle Act and the National Safety Code. Your carrier must keep a driver file containing your licence, medical, driving record, and training records, and must operate a written hours-of-service system, recorded electronically where required. Daily trip inspections and defect reports are legal records, not notes: a defect affecting safe operation means the vehicle is not driven until repaired and the report is signed off.
Know the difference between the documents. Registration and insurance prove the vehicle may be on the road; the commercial inspection decal shows the annual inspection; the pre-trip report shows today's condition; the manifest or trip record shows who and what is on board. Carriers holding a passenger transportation licence must operate within its terms, and the driver must be able to produce the required documents on demand.
Traps: questions about hours-of-service resets, about who may sign an inspection report, and about falsifying records - a false entry is a serious offence, not a clerical error. Also know that a suspension or prohibition applies to the driver, not just the vehicle, and that out-of-province convictions follow you.
Rule of thumb
If it is not written down, it did not happen: inspect, record, report, retain, and be ready to show it.