Texas School Bus Drivers Learn Emergency Procedures

School bus drivers in Texas now have the tools they need to identify haz-mat and emergency situations and get their charges out safely thanks to a crash course in emergency procedures. Does your child’s bus driver know what to do?

According to an article by Adam J. Holland in the Longview, Texas News-Journal, about 20 area transportation supervisors were trained on the dangers of chemical spills and leaks last week at Eastman Chemical’s Texas operations.

Safety experts were on hand to train the representatives on everything from reading and deciphering hazardous material markings on a rail car to what to do if they suspect a chemical spill.

Organizers told Holland there were no local spills recently that prompted such a specialized training; rather they thought it was necessary because of the network of area railways and highways on which hazardous materials are regularly transported.

Each participant in the training received a bright orange Emergency Response Guidebook, published by the US Department of Transportation. Holland says first responders typically use the 375-page manual when they arrive at a hazardous materials incident. It is intended to help them quickly identify specific hazards of materials involved in an incident so they can better protect themselves and the public.