Very BASIC School Bus Drills

[MetalMedic]

We might have an old school bus to tear apart in the near future. I have done full-blown bus extrication classes, but there is a possibility that we may just use this bus to familiarize everyone with our new rescue truck and give some new members an opportunity to get some tool time in. While I have some ideas in my head, I thought it might be productive to ask my esteemed collegues here for some ideas on what they might do for such a drill.

Normally, a school bus drill is a 2-day affair. We will have just 2-4 hours and the bus is remote from the station (i.e. very little to NO classroom time). The bus is a "short bus" with a wheel chair lift in it. Does not run, has been sitting for a few years. All of the glass appears to be in tact. Less than half of the seats remain. The main door is rusted in an open postion and I did not try to open the rear emergency door. The bus has a storage compartment between the rear wheels and the main door with access on the passenger side. There are no roof or floor escape hatches and it does not appear to have any window emergency exits.

What can we do for 2-4 hours that will get some good experience for a new person while being safe and practical?

[RyanEMVFD]

Talk to Ron Moore, he's had school buses at extrication schools and done stuff over the subject in less then a day.

Good luck, sounds like a fun class.

[MaximI]

Metalmedic, Our training sessions are mostly 2 hours long also so maybe this will help. I'm assuming that you will be doing this with the bus on all wheels.

1. Stabilization: Quite different with a busload of kids.
2. Various access points.
A. Removal of the front windshield.
B. Removal of a side window and enlargement
C. Removal of an emergency window & enlargement
D. Making entry through the buses front doors. (could be fun!)
E. Making entry between two side beams.
F. Making entry through the rear E-Door
3. Removal of interior seating & creating space
A. With hand tools
B. With a sawz-all
C. With Hydraulic tools
4. Backboard evolutions inside the bus to allow everyone to see that
a normal backboard probably will not fit in the aisle between the
seats.
5. Battery locations and other hazards that need to be addressed.
Good luck & let me know what type of training you did accomplish in a couple of hours. I may use it.

[WagonBoy19]

A couple years ago I took a excellent class by Lehigh Hollins from Cedar Hammock or Manatee County Fire in Florida on School Bus Rescue. He is considered one of the experts in the field and I know he has a video and a book on the topic which would definetly be worth investing in if you get the bus. Just go to yahoo.com and search Leigh Hollins and it should come up- I believe Fire Engineering published them. Good luck- sounds like a great drill!