POUGHKEEPSIE – The Poughkeepsie City School District began school bus safety drills this past week for the purpose of monitoring the equipment as well as the drivers, monitors, and procedures that are designed to keep students safe. The school district has its own school buses in addition to contracting with First Student and Total Transportation to bring children to and from classes.
School district dispatcher and bus driver Dawn Roger conducted the fall safety inspections this past week as buses were delivering students to schools throughout the city. Roger had previously held the position of supervisor of Transportation until personnel changes were made in the district. “We conduct these drills four times a year to ensure that the students and the buses they are riding on are safe in addition to verifying that the drivers and monitors are performing up to the standards set by the district,” Roger told Mid-Hudson News while conducting the drills at Morse Elementary School on Friday.
The safety drills cover several key aspects including ridership rules, seat belts, loading and unloading, emergency exits, and other safety measures.
At the end of Roger’s drill, the driver, and monitors are given a form that must be signed and submitted to the transportation office. The form is required by the State Education Department.
“The first inspections of the school year have gone well,” Roger said. “Many of our drivers, including those from our contract agencies, are veterans with experience in the district and are very familiar with our protocols.”
