School Bus Inspections, Equipment, and Emergency Procedures
Daily inspections
The driver performs a pre-trip inspection before each trip and a post-trip inspection after each trip. Check lights (headlights, brake lights, turn signals, amber and red school bus lights), stop arm, crossing gate, mirrors, horn, wipers, tires, wheels, brakes, emergency exits, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, warning triangles, and fluid leaks. Test the service brake and parking brake. The post-trip walk-through must check for sleeping students and left-behind items; never skip it.
Equipment
A school bus carries a stop arm, flashing amber and red lights, a crossing gate, emergency exits (doors, windows, roof hatch), a fire extinguisher, first aid kit, and warning triangles. Know how to operate each exit and the fire extinguisher: pull, aim, squeeze, sweep.
Emergency procedures
If fire or smoke appears, stop safely, set the brake, turn off the engine, evacuate students through the nearest safe exit, move them at least 100 feet away and upwind, call 911, and account for every student. Do not open the hood if an engine fire is suspected. For a crash, secure the scene, check injuries, call for help, and use triangles to warn traffic.
Worked example
Smoke comes from the engine compartment while students are aboard. The driver stops, sets the parking brake, evacuates students through the front door away from the smoke, moves them upwind, calls 911, and keeps them accounted for. Opening the hood could feed the fire with oxygen and cause injury.
Traps
Leaving students on the bus during a fire; evacuating into traffic; forgetting the post-trip check; failing to secure the bus; assuming the fire extinguisher is optional. Do not use water on a fuel or electrical fire.