I. Emergency Procedures:

• A. In any emergency situation, your first concern is the safety of your passengers. The following procedure is basic to any emergency situation.
  • 1. Stop the bus in a safe location.

    2. If the danger is immediate, i.e. fire, evacuate passengers, turn off engine and electrics. (See "Evacuation Procedures" below.)

    3. Set flashers, set emergency triangles.

    4. Radio in and report status; give location and what assistance you need. If radio contact is not possible, contact emergency response agencies by phone. Make arrangements for PAX such as getting another bus driver to assist or checking out another bus.

    • a. When using the radio in an emergency:
      • i. Compose yourself, Speak clearly and slowly

        ii. Give the dispatcher your unit number and state "EMERGENCY!", then give your exact location, nature of the problem, injuries? what kind, how many?, ambulance/fire dept. needed?, suspects/weapons?, suspect descriptions and direction of travel, etc.

        iii. If you are in immediate danger of injury (i.e. man with a knife threatening me); try to report the basics of the problem; location, etc. and then try not to move the vehicle from that location.

        iv. Take whatever measures are necessary for your own safety and that of your passengers.

        v. Keep the dispatcher informed of your status unless doing so would jeopardize your safety or that of your passengers.

  B. Specific Situations

  • 1. Fire:
    • a. Stop bus

      b. Evacuate. Use exits furthest from the fire. Make sure exit is orderly; first person out assists other passengers while the driver deals with the emergency.

      c. If you have time, radio and use fire extinguisher;

      d. Chance of fire or explosion is highest if associated with an accident.

      e. After all passengers are out of bus, take the fire extinguisher, first aid kit and the triangles with you;

      f. Account for all passengers and administer first aid, within your abilities, if necessary;

    2. Air Loss:

    • a. Monitor gauges constantly. If air pressure falls below 60 lb., the rear brakes will lock up. Find a place to pull over before this happens.

      b. See "Trouble Shooting" section for symptoms and remedies.

    3. Overheating:

    • a. Severe overheating will cause the bus to stall. Find a safe place to pull over.

      b. Generally occurs on steep hills with full loads. See "Trouble Shooting" for causes and remedies.

    4. Blizzard:

    • a. Do not leave the bus; you are much safer in the bus than out;

      b. Radio status if in range of base.

      c. If running the bus to keep warm, make sure radiator and tail pipe are clear of snow;

      d. CO2 may be a hazard. Open windows on down-wind side of bus and run exhaust fan.

    5. Flash Flood:

    • a. Radio base

      b. Leave bus immediately as a group

      c. Climb to higher ground

    6. Railroad Tracks Stall:

    • a. Use front or rear exit procedures; do not use both. You want all your passengers on one side of the tracks.

      b. Move passengers as a group.

      c. Keep passengers away from the tracks but move them up toward the on-coming train.

    7. Accidents:

    • a. Follow accident reporting procedures in section I, D.

      b. If evacuation is necessary, choose appropriate exit:

      i. Front end--all exits may be used depending on damage;

      ii. Rear end--any exit except rear door;

      iii. Broadside--any usable exit;

      iv. Rollover--Rear exit and/or unbroken window and ceiling exits.

• C. Evacuation Procedures: REMAIN CALM!!
  • 1. Front Door (and rear door in Transits):
    • a. Secure bus and scene;

      b. Evaluate situation such as injuries and best place to have passengers wait after evacuation;

      c. Get passengers attention:

      • i. Announce "Remain seated. Emergency evacuation, front door."

        ii. Speak clearly and concisely

      d. Choose helpers to aid injured at front door. Choose aides with care, they must be strong;

      e. Dismiss passengers as follows:

      • i. Alternate left and right seats starting with the right-front seat. All others must remain seated while evacuation continues.

    2. Rear door (conventionals): Only if front door is inaccessible. Same as front door procedure except that seat alternation starts at the rear of the bus.

    3. Windows:

    • a. Secure the bus;

      b. Assess situation for injuries and waiting area;

      c. Announce, "Remain in position. Evacuation through the windows;"

      d. Select assistants, two per window, one outside and one inside;

      e. Remove windows;

      f. Divide bus into three sections. Evacuate front to back in each section, alternating sides.

• D. Accidents/Reporting Procedures:

  All accidents are either preventable or non-preventable. It is unlikely that you will be able to avoid all accidents, however, we expect you to avoid preventable accidents. (Having an accident is not necessarily grounds for disciplinary action, failure to report it is.)

  • 1. Stop the bus, set flashers and radio TC base, FM base, or Police 400 base. You must do this if any contact is made with a fixed object, an animal, a person or another vehicle. TC or FM base will notify necessary authorities for assistance.

    2. If you can't contact TC/FM base, you must call the police. This is required if any contact, no matter how minor, has been made.

    3. Set emergency triangles to maximize visibility and warning.

    4. Do not move the bus unless necessary for safety reasons or by police order.

    5. If passengers are at risk, evacuate the bus and move them to a safe area.

    6. Render first aid to the injured, but only within the limits of your medical training.

    7. After you have reported the accident to the Police and or the TC, DO NOT DISCUSS THE ACCIDENT WITH ANYONE on the site other than the Police and your supervisor. Simply collect and exchange necessary information with the other driver.

    8. All accidents/incidents must be reported, no matter how minor. The form required is the Transportation Center accident report form carried with the registration on the bus. It must be filled out in detail, both sides, signed and turned into the supervisor within 24 hours. Please help us by remembering to replace the form with a new blank one.

    9. You must fill out a State of Colorado Report of Motor Vehicle Accident form if the accident resulted in death or bodily injury to any person or if there was damage to any vehicle or property in excess of $1000. The forms are at the TC and must be filled out within 5 days.

    10. Numbers to call after-hours or on weekends. Call in this order:

    • 1. Ray Phillips 258-7572
      2. Mark Wolk 494-4907
      3. Arden Switzer 440-9272
      4. Bryan Flansberg 678-8599 or 775-2937(cellular)

• 11. If the accident is severe enough to require drug/alcohol testing, you must be available for testing for the next 8 hours for alcohol and the next 32 hours for drugs. Testing is required when:
  • 1. A death has occurred as result of the accident, or

    2. An injury has occurred which requires offsite attention, i.e. an ambulance is used, or

    3. A vehicle must be towed from the scene, and

    4. A moving violation or citation is issued.

     

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Last updated on 7/10/96.