OTTUMWA, IOWA -- In the past few weeks, many school bus accidents have been taking place throughout the country. On Tuesday, a school bus from the Southeast Polk School District outside of Des Moines was involved in an accident. KTVO wanted to learn what training students go through during the school year incase an emergency does take place on the school bus.
The Iowa Department of Transportation requires that students go through training two times on how to safely evacuate a bus and where to go once they are in a safe area.
In Ottumwa, Southern Iowa Transit works with the Ottumwa Community School District to make sure students are prepared for an emergency.
KTVO spoke with owner and manager Jerry Kjer. Kjer says that through the training, students are taught to get off the bus if it is not a safe environment.
“What we are trying to do is help the kids know sometimes things can happen on the bus that are unusual, and it’s safest for youngsters to get off the bus, and where to go once they are off a bus to afford them the greatest safety,” said Kjer.
Students are also taught to think of their safety if an adult is not present.
“They also need to understand that sometimes they may have to do this without the assistance of the driver. In a case where the driver maybe injured, or involved with some other detail, the youngsters will have to know how to get off the bus and how to do it safely,” said Kjer.
Kjer told KTVO that his drivers go through training once hired, and continuous training throughout the year on safety. This is to assure that they can instruct students what to do incase of an emergency.
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