The TSA's Highway and Motor Carrier Division announced that it will be developing five new regional exercises on school transportation security to be held over the next year.

The Intermodal - Security Training and Exercise Program, or I-STEP, sent a letter to NASPDTS this week seeking interest in holding the events in states. The scenario-based tabletop exercises are intended to bring together regional stakeholders to discuss multi-partner coordination of prevention, protection and response actions regarding a realistic terrorism scenario that affects school buses.

TSA added that these four- to six-hour exercises are important tools to ensure the perspective of school transportation is presented during a discussion of security topics and to enhance existing relationships with federal, state and local officials.

TSA will also form a planning team to draft objectives, scenarios and time lines of the exercise. While the event should include federal, state and local organizations, states retain ownership of the exercises and are able to mold and tweak them according to specific needs and priorities.