10 Likely Questions at an NTSB Hearing

DATE: May 1, 1996

MEMO: To All Directors of School Transportation Operations

FROM: Peter Grandolfo, Chicago Public Schools

SUBJECT: Questions you will likely be asked in the event of a catastrophic school bus accident in your district.

ORIGIN: These primary and follow-up questions were raised by the National Transportation Safety Board at its public hearing into the Fox River Grove commuter train-school bus accident.

Primary Question 1:
What are the specific steps that a person must go through to become a school bus driver in your district?

Followup Questions:
Is there a specific initial training curriculum for school bus drivers in your district?
If so, does this involve classroom study?
If so, how long does this classroom study take?
Describe both this classroom training and any behind-the-wheel training for your school bus drivers?
Do you provide your drivers with any specific training about railroad grade crossings, loading and unloading passengers or emergency evacuation planning?

Primary Question 2:
Who trains your school bus drivers?

Followup Questions:
What qualifications must a person have to become a school bus driver-training instructor in your district?
Is there any type of certification for these instructor-trainers?
If so, how do these trainers get certified?
Are these instructor-trainers required to have any experience in teaching or training?
Do these instructors need any experience in school bus transportation?
What are the qualifications of those persons that certify your instructors?

Primary Question 3:
Does your district have a plan for the periodic recertification of its school bus drivers?

Followup Questions:
If so, what are the district's requirements for the periodic recertification of school bus drivers?
Does the recertification come from the district, or the State, or both?
What types of topics are covered in the recertification training program?
What kind of training is given to your school bus drivers for dealing with discipline and high levels of noise on the bus?
Do you have any notes or minutes from you recertification (inservice) meetings?
Do you have a list of the drivers that attended?

Primary Question 4:
Does your district have a system in place for the supervision of drivers on their routes?

Followup Questions:
If so, how many supervisors monitor the performance of your drivers?
Do the supervisors ever ride with the drivers to monitor their performance?
If so, how often?
How often are your school bus drivers evaluated?
Have you ever had a driver dismissed "for cause"?
Does your district have its own set of written guidelines and/or policies for school bus drivers, separate from those of the State?

Primary Question 5:
How are school bus routes established in your district?

Followup Questions:
Are there specific, written guidelines established for the development of these routes?
Who is responsible for the routing of school buses in your district?
How often are school bus routes (re)evaluated?
What is the National Standard for the periodic reevaluating school bus routes?

Primary Question 6:
Do you have any mechanism in place to identify hazards on school bus routes?

Followup Questions:
Do you follow up on reports of hazardous conditions? How?
Is the hazardous notification policy written or verbal?
Who reviews these reports? Do you have written guidelines that deal with specific hazardous conditions once they are identified?

Primary Question 7:
How do you insure that a driver on a route is sufficiently familiar with that route before he/she goes out on the route?

Followup Questions:
How is information about hazardous road/route conditions in your district distributed to the various drivers?
What is the procedure for relaying information from the regular driver to a substitute driver on a route?
Do substitute drivers receive the exact same information and training as your regular school bus drivers?
Is there specific guidance given to substitute drivers on routes?

Primary Question 8:
Does anyone from the district's transportation administration go out to routinely check routes or hazardous conditions?

Followup Questions:
Is there a mechanism in place to check routes on a regular basis?
If so, do you check these routes in a school bus or in your car?

Primary Question 9:
Who is responsible for the specifications of the district's school buses?

Followup Questions:
Do your buses differ from those that are recognized as the "industry standard"?
Have you modified your buses in any way or added any "extras"?
If so, how do your buses differ from the "industry standard"? Why?
Are drivers required to do pre-trip inspection of their bus before each run?
How is this inspection conducted and recorded?

Primary Question 10:
Are you familiar with your state or any national school bus associations?

Followup Questions:
If so, do you participate or receive any feedback from any organization?
Are you familiar with the National Standards for School Transportation?
Do you know if any of these National (Industry) Standards have been adopted by your State?