Engine Smoke and Jammed Front Door After an I-75 Sideswipe
At 23:10 on I-75 near Richmond, Kentucky, you are driving a 47-passenger coach with 30 passengers in light rain. A pickup sideswipes the right rear of the bus; you steer left, then stop on the right shoulder after the bus strikes the guardrail. The engine is still running, smoke is coming from the engine compartment, the front door is jammed, and the rear door opens. One passenger in row 4 has a bloody forehead; another says his neck hurts. The bus is about 15 feet from the right lane, and traffic is passing at 70 mph. You have a 10 BC extinguisher at the driver's seat and an AED. The outside temperature is 48°F. Dispatch answers on the radio but has not yet called 911. You smell something burning. The guardrail is on the right; the left lane is open but fast.
1. What are your first actions, and do you evacuate?
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Shut off the engine, turn on hazard flashers, and call 911 yourself with the location, direction, vehicle description, and injuries; do not wait for dispatch. Because there is smoke and a burning smell, treat the bus as a fire risk and evacuate. Open the rear door and move passengers away from the bus, behind the guardrail if it is safe, and upwind at least 100 feet. Do not send anyone back for belongings. The passenger with the bloody forehead can walk; support him away from traffic. The passenger with neck pain should not be moved unless the fire or traffic danger makes staying in the bus more dangerous. In that case, use a blanket or clothing as a makeshift support and move him as gently as possible. Keep the group together and account for all 30.
2. How do you use the extinguisher, and when do you abandon the bus?
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Use the extinguisher only if it can be done without trapping yourself and only after evacuation has started. Take the 10 BC extinguisher, stay low, and use the PASS method: pull the pin, aim at the base of the flames, squeeze the handle, and sweep. Do not fully open the engine compartment hood; a rush of air can feed the fire. If the fire is small and you can knock it down in a few seconds, do so, then back away. If smoke is heavy, flames are visible, or the extinguisher is empty and the fire is not out, abandon the bus immediately. A burning bus can produce toxic smoke and fuel-fed fire quickly. Do not re-enter for luggage or paperwork. Keep passengers well away and let firefighters take over.
3. What do you do after evacuation while waiting for EMS and police?
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Count heads against the 30-passenger manifest and write down names if possible. Put the injured passengers in one group, keep them warm with jackets or blankets, and do not let them wander near the traffic lanes. The passenger with neck pain should stay still with his head supported until EMS arrives. Set out reflective triangles or flares only if you can do it without stepping into the right lane; the bus itself is the main warning device, so keep passengers behind the guardrail rather than between the bus and traffic. Give dispatch and arriving Kentucky State Police or EMS a quick summary: 30 aboard, two injured, smoke in the engine, front door jammed, rear door used. Do not move the bus until police say it is safe. Complete the crash and evacuation reports.