Washoe County bus drivers got a crash course in safety procedures Thursday just in case of emergencies on the road.
Washoe County does bus safety trainings four times a year - and recently they've changed up their procedures to make the courses as realistic as possible.
“Stay calm, ok?”
“Alright guys, I'm coming through the bus, I'm gonna check for anyone else.”
Bus drivers went through the emergency simulation evacuating a smoke-filled bus and practicing all the ways to get kids safely away while accounting for everyone.
They say it can be challenging with kids of different sizes and abilities who may get spooked in an emergency.
That's why they want the evacuations to be as well-practiced as possible.
"To develop instinctive reactions in our drivers, so that when emergency situations do happen, they're able to just react accordingly without having to think about it,” says Rick Martin, WCSD Transportation Director.
"This training is really important because the way we do it now, where we get hands-on, gives us an experience of not only what it would be like in a real life situation, but it also gives us a little bit of experience with what the kids are going through,” says Donald Bailie, WCSD Bus Driver.
In Washoe County, more than 20,000 students ride the bus to and from school every day.
