Emergency Evacuation and Student Management
This domain tests your judgment under pressure: whether to evacuate, how to move students, and how to keep control of a group. The exam expects a clear decision process, not a reflex to empty the bus.
Decide first
Evacuate only if staying is more dangerous: fire, fuel leak, the bus stopped in a traffic lane, an unsafe railroad crossing, or a submerged vehicle. If the bus is in a safe location, keep students aboard and call dispatch.
Command and control
- Use a loud, clear command. Assign older students to lead and assist.
- Use front, rear, or side exits as conditions allow; move to an assembly point at least 100 feet away and upwind of fire.
- Count students at the exit and again at the assembly point. Take the roster and emergency equipment if time allows.
- Know the individual evacuation plan for students with special needs; do not lift alone if help is available.
Worked example
Smoke comes from the dashboard. Correct response: stop, secure the bus, evacuate through the front door and move students upwind, and call 911. Do not open the hood. Reasoning: an engine fire can flash when the hood is opened, and smoke can enter the passenger area.
Traps
- Evacuating into the traffic side without checking.
- Forgetting the count or allowing a student to re-enter.
- Opening the hood on a fire.
- Losing command by shouting or moving without directions.