Smoke in the Cabin and a Jammed Rear Emergency Door
You are driving a 40-foot motorcoach with 40 passengers, including two children, on the right shoulder of I-96. Smoke is coming from the rear engine compartment and entering the cabin. You stop, set the parking brake, and shut off the engine. The front door opens normally. The rear emergency door is jammed and will not open. The roof has two emergency hatches. A fire extinguisher is mounted near the driver. Traffic is passing at 70 mph, and the wind is blowing from the right side of the bus toward the left. Passengers are standing and moving toward the front. It is 14:10, dry, with good visibility. You have not yet called 911.
1. What are your first actions in the first 30 seconds?
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I would keep the bus stopped, set the parking brake, shut off the engine, and take the keys so no one can move the bus. I would call 911 immediately and give the highway, direction, mile marker, and that smoke is coming from the rear engine compartment. I would then turn to the passengers and give clear, loud directions: 'Leave everything. Move to the front door and out to the right, away from traffic.' I would not spend time trying to open the jammed rear door. The priority is to get people off the bus and away from the smoke and traffic before the fire grows.
2. Which exits and assembly point would you use, and why?
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I would use the front door as the primary exit because it works and is farthest from the engine smoke. I would send passengers out and to the right side of the bus, which is away from the 70 mph traffic and upwind because the wind is blowing from the right toward the left. I would direct them at least 100 feet ahead of the bus and off the shoulder. If the front door becomes blocked, I would use the right-side emergency windows and the roof hatches, but only as secondary exits. I would not use the jammed rear door or send passengers across the traffic lanes. Once assembled, I would count passengers and account for the two children.
3. Should you fight the fire with the extinguisher? Explain your reasoning.
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Only if the fire is small, I have been trained, and I can keep an exit behind me. My first duty is evacuation and calling 911, not firefighting. If passengers are still aboard or the smoke is heavy, I would not re-enter. If I use the extinguisher, I would stay low, aim at the base of the flames, and avoid opening the engine compartment fully because a rush of air can intensify the fire. I would not go past the rear wheels or put myself between the fire and the passengers. After one extinguisher is used, I would move to the assembly point and report to the fire department.