Smoke in the Passenger Compartment
At 8:05 a.m., 36 students are aboard a 54-passenger bus on a two-lane state route. The temperature is 19°F. As you crest a hill, smoke begins pouring from the heater/defroster area under the dashboard; within 10 seconds the passenger compartment has a sharp electrical smell and visible haze. You are 150 feet from a narrow gravel shoulder on the right, with a guardrail and a 6-foot drop beyond it. Traffic is light but includes a tanker truck approaching from behind. The bus is 300 feet from a farm driveway. The rear emergency door, side door, and roof hatches are available; two students use crutches. The front door area is beginning to haze over. You have a fire extinguisher and first-aid kit aboard.
1. Do you evacuate immediately or drive 300 feet to the farm driveway? Explain the trade-offs.
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Evacuate now. Smoke and a sharp electrical smell from the dashboard mean a fire is possible, and a bus fire can spread in seconds. Driving 300 feet keeps 36 students on a vehicle that may be burning and delays escape. Stop on the shoulder as far right as the guardrail allows, set the parking brake, shift to park, shut off the engine, and turn off the battery master. The 19°F temperature is uncomfortable, but a few minutes of cold is far safer than smoke inhalation or a fire. The tanker truck behind you is a reason to move students away from the traffic side, not a reason to stay aboard. The farm driveway would be preferable if it were already under your wheels, but it is not worth driving a smoking bus to reach it.
2. Which exit do you use, and how do you move 36 students, including two on crutches, away from the bus?
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Use the rear emergency door as the primary exit because the front door area is hazing over. Do not send students through smoke. Assign two older students to help the two students with crutches, but have the crutch users exit after the first few ambulatory students, not in the middle of a rush. Station yourself at the door and spot each student as he or she comes down; no one should jump. If the rear door becomes blocked, use the side door or a roof hatch. Move the group at least 100 feet away, upwind and away from the road, and keep them together. Count the students at the assembly point. If someone is missing, tell the fire department; do not re-enter the bus.
3. What do you do after the students are at the assembly point?
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Call 911, give the bus location, describe the smoke, and report that 36 students are evacuated. Check students for injuries and smoke inhalation, and keep them away from the bus and the traffic lane. Place warning reflectors only after the students are safe and only if you can do so without walking into traffic. Notify dispatch and the school. Do not let anyone re-board until the fire department says it is safe. Complete a post-incident report and document the electrical smell, the smoke, and any defect that may have caused it. The bus should not be driven again until it has been inspected and repaired.