Passenger Safety and Emergency Exit Procedures
What the exam tests
This domain asks how you protect passengers before and during an emergency: identifying exits, giving clear instructions, evacuating when necessary, and accounting for everyone.
Core rules
- Before departure, know every emergency exit and how it operates: side windows, rear door, roof hatches, and any wheelchair-lift exit. Tell passengers where exits are and how to use them.
- Never block an exit with seats, baggage, or equipment. Keep exit operating instructions visible.
- In an emergency: stop in a safe place, set the parking brake, shift to park or neutral, shut off the engine, and turn on hazard lights. Evacuate if there is fire, smoke, hazardous material, or a threat of collision.
- Evacuate passengers away from traffic and fire. Use the exit furthest from the hazard. Assist passengers with disabilities and children. Take the fire extinguisher only if trained and safe.
- Account for passengers at a safe gathering point. Call 911, report injuries, and notify dispatch.
- If a bus stalls on a railroad crossing, evacuate immediately and move well away from the tracks, even if a train is not visible.
Worked example
Smoke appears near the rear of a loaded bus. The driver stops, sets the brake, shuts off the engine, opens the front door, and directs passengers forward and away from traffic. The driver does not try to fight a growing fire before evacuating. After everyone is clear, the driver calls 911 and accounts for passengers.
Traps
Opening the hood or inspecting the fire before moving passengers. Letting passengers take luggage during an immediate evacuation. Forgetting to set the brake. Assuming someone else called 911.