About 200 Olentangy Local School District bus drivers and transportation staff trained around a bus placed on its side on Aug. 4, watching emergency responders demonstrate how to remove students through emergency exits and roof hatches before the first day of school Aug. 20.
It was the first time the district has staged a rolled-bus scenario, according to transportation supervisor Amy Morgan.
"They wanted us to feel what that's like and how frightened a student would be, so that we're very calm if something happens," Morgan told NBC4i.
The training in Lewis Center also covered bus evacuations, wheelchair securement, properly fitting safety restraints and manually operating wheelchair lifts. Liberty Township firefighters and Delaware County Sheriff's deputies participated, walking drivers through how emergency crews respond to a crash and what dispatchers need to hear first: how many students are on board, whether anyone is injured and whether any riders have medical conditions.
Morgan said Olentangy drivers carry student rosters, seating charts, emergency contacts and medical-needs information on every route. That preparation means first responders can match names to seats the moment they arrive. Morgan said that when she arrives on scene, drivers already have their rosters out and can tell responders who was seated where and how to reach each student's family.
The district served about 24,500 students across a 95-square-mile area last school year, covering Powell, Liberty Township and Lewis Center. With the new school year opening in just over two weeks, Morgan encouraged parents to talk with their children about following bus safety rules and listening to their drivers.
Back-to-school calendar
- Thursday, Aug. 13 — Parent Technology Support Night, 6–8 p.m., Olentangy Orange High School
- Tuesday, Aug. 18 — Elementary school open houses
- Thursday, Aug. 20 — First day of school, grades K–12
- Tuesday, Aug. 25 — First day for preschoolers
