School Bus Transportation News at STN Media

District Provides School Bus for
Terrorist Training

PEORIA , Ariz. - In a cooperative effort with local law enforcement and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Pendergast School District in Arizona loaned the agencies a school bus for training last fall at the Challenger Space Center .

Glendale City Police hosted the three-day session in October led by the Center of Domestic Preparedness to train officers to respond to terrorist acts and weapons of mass destruction (WMD), said Sgt. John Hoebee. The school bus was utilized in a hand-on exercise to simulate a hostage situation in a transportation scenario, be it a car, bus or train.

"I was pleased that we could offer them assistance and that they are training using school buses," said Pendergast District Transportation Director Dean Humphrey. "We all like to think that school buses are safe, but the reality is that they are a soft target, and with (more than) 10,000 school districts in the U.S., there are a lot of school buses to choose from."

The program was designed to train the trainers, who then brought information back to their respective police departments. Approximately 15 officers from various law enforcement agencies in Arizona attended.

Training covered terrorist tactics and targeting, WMD hazards, indicators of terrorism and protective measures taken by law enforcement officers, Hoebee said. The Center of Domestic Preparedness also addressed explosive materials, hand-on personal protective equipment, mass-casualty triage, decontamination, and other defensive operational tasks.

"A WMD incident could take place at any time and location," he said. "Law enforcement agencies and schools should work together to prepare for any unforeseen events, so they are better prepared to handle the incidents."

Humphrey agreed that a collaborative effort by school districts and police strengths safety in the school transportation industry. He noted that schools must be aware of what constitutes a threat and must be proactive in their efforts to keep riders safe.

"The reality is transportation is not like it used to be, and we have so many more challenges that we did 20-30 years ago," Humphrey said. "Everyone must take an active roll in assuring our students and drivers are as safe as possible."