Terrorism Preparedness Guidelines - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Terrorism Preparedness Guidelines

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School Buses are ideal targets for explosives. ... Drivers should make students, of all grade levels, aware that they care about their safety. ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Terrorism Preparedness Guidelines


1
Terrorism Preparedness Guidelines
  • Prepared by New York State Education Department -
    School Bus Terrorism Committee

2
INTRODUCTION In light of repeated attacks on
buses in the Middle East, it is important that
Bus Operators and Bus Dispatch personnel be
vigilant in preparing for, and understanding how,
terrorists might attack their system. School
Buses are ideal targets for explosives.
3
The following is a check list by which you can
evaluate your districts, communitys or
companys Emergency Management Plan and your
daily operation procedures. This list is by no
means exhaustive. It is intended to raise the
level of awareness among transportation
professionals of the real threat that exists for
school buses to be targets of terrorism.
4
Perhaps a good place to start is to establish a
working definition of terrorism. We have defined
terrorism as premeditated threats or acts of
violence committed by politically motivated
persons whose intent is to intimidate or cause
serious physical harm to a specific group of
people.
5
Most Emergency Management Plans include school
buses merely as a means of shelter and a method
of transportation away from a disaster. We are
urging you to seriously consider your big yellow
buses as an actual target of terrorism and to
take steps to avert any such incidents.
6
Buses in storage or the bus garage/facility
  • Key in on Access
  • Lighting
  • Alarms
  • Cameras
  • Exit Diagrams

7
Buses in the storage area or bus yard
  • Key in on fences
  • Alarms
  • Cameras
  • Patrol / Guards
  • Lighting
  • Location of buses - where parked
  • Evacuation from the bus yard with alternate
    routes
  • Driver observations of the unusual

8
Buses In Transit
  • Taken from SCHOOL BUS EMERGENCY INCIDENT
    GUIDELINES prepared by a subcommittee of the NYS
    Counter Terrorism Zone 4 and used with their
    permission.

9
Observations by drivers
  • The school bus driver is the first line of
    defense in dealing with security issues and
    recognizing the potential of a threat.

10
PRE- TRIP Exterior
  • Brake checks
  • Tire checks
  • Steering
  • Outside compartments (for unknown objects)

11
PRE-TRIP Interior (for unknown objects or
tampering)
  • Floor
  • Seats
  • Under seats
  • Interior compartments

12
At The Bus Stop
  • Strange vehicle at bus stop, try to record
    license plate number and the description of the
    vehicle.
  • Individuals never seen before in close proximity
    to bus stop. Individuals never seen before at
    the bus stop, talking to children. Notify base
    immediately.

13
  • Do not let any adult on your bus (including
    parents), close your door and notify base. If
    you are forced into a conversation, have it at
    the drivers window.
  • Parents should not prolong the bus stop with
    conversations to the driver. (This would be an
    easy target to identify.)

14
  • Do not let a new student on your bus without a
    bus pass
  • Do not deviate from your designated route
  • Do not make unauthorized stops

15
While Driving
  • Be on the alert for anything unusual (i.e.
    movement of the vehicle, persons acting
    suspicious)
  • Do not open the door or get out of the bus if
    road is blocked for no reason (i.e. stalled car,
    debris without a storm) Notify base. In the
    event of a crash, be watchful for unusual
    behavior. (Could be a staged incident.)

16
  • Be aware of conversations of students (i.e.
    weapons on the bus, unusual activity in school,
    fear of student entering or exiting the bus)
    Notify base.
  • Drivers should make students, of all grade
    levels, aware that they care about their safety.
    (Students will be more comfortable when an
    emergency arises, they will talk about what they
    see that makes them feel threatened, and they
    will listen to the driver in an emergency.)

17
  • Student reports of items that may be suspicious
    (i.e. package, bag) Notify base, pull over in a
    safe location, and secure the vehicle.
  • Evacuate the vehicle immediately and close the
    doors to prevent re-entry.
  • Move passengers 1000 feet from the bus,
    preferably upwind. Do not attempt to re-enter
    the bus.

18
  • After immediate notification to base, do not use
    your radio or cell phone from that point on.
  • Remain aware of your surroundings at all times.

19
While at School
  • Suspicious vehicle(s) or person(s) outside school
    or on school property. Do not let students off.
    Notify base and wait for instructions.
  • Do not let teacher or faculty on bus without
    proper identification.
  • Do not take an order from school personnel
    without knowing that person.

20
  • Do not let students off the bus if you feel that
    there is something wrong (i.e. no teachers coming
    out to receive students, police personnel present
    but not in sight). There may be unusual activity
    inside the school that you are unaware of.
    Notify base immediately.

21
Post-Trip - after each trip and at the end of the
day
  • Children left on bus
  • Evidence of damage
  • Sabotage
  • Graffiti

22
At The Scene of Serious Incidents
  • Rescue and care for the children
  • Do not disturb the evidence

23
You are being called upon to be vigilant and
observant of any unusual or suspicious activity.
In the end, your instinct and experience may be
the best measure in identifying an incident
before it occurs. Once again, please do not
hesitate to contact base (dispatch) any time you
feel there is a potential problem or threat. Do
not be intimidated by ridicule from your
peers. Each of the above guidelines could be
expanded into a lesson plan to be presented in a
training format for school bus drivers.
24
General Recommendations
  • Black lettering on roof of bus, Minimum 24 -
    Maximum 36 each letter. Should be identified by
    company name (i.e. H.T. 323, C.R. 260)
  • An outside signaling device could be installed on
    the bus (i.e. a light on the grill) recognizable
    to other school bus drivers and authorities.
    This would have to be approved by DOT.

25
  • Bus tracking systems at your dispatch locations.
  • Develop a standardized radio transmission code
    with disguising conversation.
  • Provide bus list with numbers to your local
    police jurisdiction for computer entry. The
    above list should be updated quarterly by the
    carrier.

26
  • Better communications between emergency services
    and school/transportation personnel.
  • Driver screening (it is even more important that
    references given by the applicant be checked out
    and contact be made with former employers).

27
Those of us who think that we are back to
September 10, 2001 environment are sadly mistaken.
28
Resources
  • County Counter Terrorism Task Force (16 Task
    Forces in NYS)
  • NYS Office of Public Security
  • 1-866-SAFENYS
  • 1-888-NYC-SAFE
  • FBI Joint Terrorist Task Force
  • www.fbi.gov/contact/fo/fo.htm

29
  • National School Transportation Association
  • State Homeland Security directors
  • www.dhs.gov
  • click on government
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