Indian Lake Schools recently hosted bus drivers from several districts for new training that many drivers are calling the best they have ever attended.
In late July, local bus drivers participated in S.T.A.R.T. training, which stands for School Transportation Active-Threat Response Training on Indian Lake’s campus.
IL Director of Transportation Pat Smith explained that the training specifically teaches methods to prevent an attacker from boarding a bus and maneuvers in response to a life threatening scenario on the bus.
“This is the best training I’ve been through. We’ve all been through the ALICE training, but that doesn’t apply to a bus. We don’t have doors to barricade or rooms to hide in, so it was nice to finally have something exclusively for school transportation.”
Smith said they actually proved the program works when an instructor posing as an attacker was injured during a practice exercise.
“The driver responded with aggressive steering and braking and he (the instructor) fell, as we would anticipate. When he fell he cut his hand on a bolt (that secures the seats to the floor)–just a freak accident.”
Indian Lake bus driver Amy Stevens and sub driver Josh Randolph administered first aid to the instructor. Smith says it’s important to note that no properly seated bus passengers were injured in the event.
Several drivers posted on social media that the S.T.A.R.T. training was very informative and useful.
Bus drivers from Indian Lake, Bellefontaine, Ben Logan, Riverside, Urbana and Ridgemont participated in the two-day training led by law enforcement from all across Ohio.
