Bus drivers from across the region gathered in Oneonta Friday, Oct. 6 for a day of specialized training. The event was organized by DCMO BOCES in partnership with ONC BOCES, and drew over 150 bus drivers and aides from 14 school districts. The day was anchored by the active shooter preparedness training sessions, with additional sessions on mandated reporter training and “stop the bleed” emergency training for serious bleeding, both taught by staff from DCMO BOCES Health and Safety team.
According to DCMO BOCES Health and Safety Coordinator Jason Lawrence, organizer of the training day, the idea for the event came from conversations among the component school districts of DCMO BOCES and ONC BOCES. He said most districts wanted active shooter preparedness training, and there was also a real interest in training for all the districts on one day in one centralized location. Lawrence saw an opportunity to help the districts complete the state-required mandated reporter training for bus drivers and aides, and plans for the day quickly took shape.
The day’s activities included classroom training but the highlight was the practical portion of the training, which took place on two school buses in a parking lot. In groups of 30-40, trainers took the drivers and aides through a variety of potential threat situations to help elevate their awareness and provide them with a number of best practice techniques for dealing with them. The idea, Lawrence said, is to give them the tools so that if they’re in a situation on the bus, they can react to and handle it better, something he says the drivers appreciate. When it comes to improving safety for schoolchildren, the focus is often on schools and the classroom, but Lawrence notes that the role bus drivers play can be just as critical.
School districts participating included Stamford, Oxford Academy, Gilbertsville-Mount Upton, Edmeston, Laurens, Morris, Delaware Academy at Delhi, Downsville, Cherry Valley, Norwich, Milford, Unatego, and both DCMO and ONC BOCES.
Lawrence hopes that this can become an annual training event, modeled on the Regional School Safety Summit he organizes that provides school leaders, health and safety teams, law enforcement and community leaders a forum for discussion and training to prevent school shootings.
