Thursday, September 17, 2009

SCHOOL BUSES FACE SAFETY AND SECURITY CHALLENGES

Schools train drivers how to drive buses, but not how to manage behavior on buses

"Schools do a great job in training bus drivers how to drive the bus, but they do a poor job in training drivers how to manage violent behavior, security threats and crisis issues occurring on the bus," according to Kenneth S. Trump, a national expert on school security and emergency preparedness.

Trump, who is president of National School Safety and Security Services, noted recent incidents involving school buses require greater attention to school transportation security and preparedness. On August 27th in Atlanta, a 23-year-old male hijacked a school bus with students and a driver on board. In Yazoo City, Mississippi, on September 1st, a 17-year-old male high school student wrestled a .380-caliber semi-automatic gun away from a 14-year-old female student who was threatening other students.This week, a school bus video from Belleville, Illinois, shows a student being repeatedly beaten by another student while the driver drove the bus.

School bus security threats continue to gain more attention and concern from school administrators. Fighting on buses, irate parents threatening drivers and, neighborhood and gang conflicts at bus stops are among a number of challenges drivers face in doing their job each day.

Trump, who testified in Congress to the House Homeland Security Committee in 2007 about terrorism threats to schools and school buses, notes that school bus drivers have the most challenging jobs in a school district. He said they have to not only safely drive the bus, but also simultaneously maintain the safety of dozens of students riding on board.

"Most parents understand the difficulty of driving their family van or SUV with two or three kids inside. Multiple that number of kids by 10 or more, and it is not difficult to understand the challenges faced by school bus drivers," Trump said.

More on school bus heightened security at: www.schoolsecurity.org/resources/school_bus_security.html

Trump is a four-time invited Congressional expert witness on school safety, security and emergency preparedness issues. He has authored two books and over 60 professional articles on K-12 school security and emergency preparedness issues. Trump has appeared on all cable and network news channels, and is quoted regularly as a school safety expert in national daily newspapers and professional publications.

EXPERT BACKGROUND AND CONTACT INFO:

www.schoolsecurity.org/school-safety-experts/trump.html

Kenneth S. Trump, M.P.A., is the President of National School Safety and Security Services, a Cleveland-based national firm specializing in school security and emergency preparedness training and consulting. Ken served as a school safety officer, investigator, and youth gang unit supervisor for the Cleveland City Schools' safety division, and as a suburban Cleveland school security director and assistant gang task force director.He has authored two books and over 60 articles on school security and crisis issues. As one of the leading U.S. school safety experts, Ken has 25 years experience in the school safety profession and has worked with school and public safety officials from all 50 states. He is one of the most widely quoted school safety experts, appearing on all national news networks and cable TV and in top market newspapers. Ken is a four-time invited Congressional witness testifying on school safety and emergency preparedness issues. For more background, see www.schoolsecurity.org/school-safety-experts/trump.html