Smoke on the Freeway Shoulder
At 4:55 p.m. on Interstate 94 near St. Cloud, you are driving a 72-passenger bus with 14 middle-school students. One student uses a wheelchair and is seated in the rear lift area. You smell burning rubber, then see gray smoke coming from the engine cover. You pull onto the right shoulder, stop, set the parking brake, and turn on hazard lights. Traffic is heavy and passing at 65 mph. The smoke thickens. Outside temperature is 10°F. The fire extinguisher is mounted by the driver’s seat; the first-aid kit is behind the driver. The front door is clear, but smoke is beginning to drift forward. The rear emergency door opens onto the shoulder. Your radio works; cell service is spotty. The students are frightened and some are unbuckling.
1. Do you evacuate? If so, how and in which direction?
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I evacuate. Smoke and a burning smell from the engine cover suggest a possible fire, and a bus can become fully involved within minutes. I set the parking brake, turn off the ignition, activate hazard lights, and radio 911 and dispatch. I tell students to stay calm and use the front door if it is clear of smoke; if smoke is at the front, I use the rear door. I move the group upwind and away from traffic, at least 100 feet from the bus and off the traveled lane. I take the fire extinguisher and first-aid kit if immediately available. I do not fully open the engine cover if I suspect fire, because that can feed oxygen. I account for every student by name at the rally point.
2. How do you manage the wheelchair student during the evacuation?
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I assess the fastest safe route for the wheelchair student. The lift is slow and may be unusable in smoke, so if there is immediate danger I use the bus’s emergency evacuation procedure with trained assistance or a carry technique, depending on the student’s needs and equipment. I do not delay evacuation to use the lift if smoke is spreading. I direct responsible students to clear the aisle and keep others moving, but I stay in charge. At the rally point I confirm the wheelchair student is with the group and check for injuries. If the student cannot be moved safely, I call 911 and state exactly what assistance is needed.
3. What should you communicate and do after the students are off the bus?
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I call 911 with the location, direction, mile marker, number of students, smoke or fire status, and injuries. I notify dispatch and the district. I keep students together and do not let them wander onto the freeway. I do not move the bus unless it is in a danger zone, and no one reboards until the fire department says it is safe. I document the evacuation, account for all students, and note who was notified and when.