School Bus Stabilization

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School Bus Stabilization Extrication
Developed by FF Jon M. Graziani Maple Valley Fire
Life Safety
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School Bus Statistics

• Each year, school buses provide an estimated 10
  billion student trips in the United States.
• Every school day, 475,000 school buses transport
  25 million children to and from schools and
  school-related activities.

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A little History

• The first school bus was horse-drawn, introduced
  in 1827 by George Shillibeer, it was designed to
  carry 25 children.

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Statistics

• Over the past 11 years school buses have annually
  averaged 26,000 crashes, resulting in 10
  fatalities 25 were drivers, 75 were passengers
  National Highway Transportation Safety
  Administration

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School Bus Occupant Hazards

• Most school bus fatalities occur outside the bus
  during loading and unloading of children.
• Most school bus injuries occur inside the school
  bus, 2/3 of the injuries are minor patients
  were not properly positioned inside the seating
  area.

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School Bus Hazards

• Most fatalities and accidents occur in the
  afternoon and mid-year students and drivers
  arent thinking about a school bus, theyre
  usually thinking about what they will do when
  they get home. Most fatalities occur between
  December and May of each year. State education
  department.

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Scene Control

• School bus crashes are extremely difficult, even
  for the seasoned veteran.
• Will draw enormous attention
• Students with cell phones will call parents,
  relatives or friends
• All of which will race to the scene frantic and
  worried
• News media will attempt to get pictures and
  stories
• As the clock ticks more and more people will be
  notified of the incident
• To deal with these people request law enforcement
  for traffic control and restrict access to
  unnecessary individuals

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Scene Control

• Set up a Staging area for Parents, Media, School
  Representatives
• Assign a PIO
• Manage the Victims
• Follow Zone 3 MCI protocols
• Establish Pre-determined response so decisions
  arent made by the seat of your pants
• Fire Department EMS
• Local School Representatives
• Law Enforcement

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Component Hazards

• School buses pose the same hazards as most
  vehicles on the roadway today
• Size Mass alone is a hazard to all working
  on/in/around a not properly stabilized vehicle
• Fires
• Dense toxic fumes due to the use of flammable
  materials in seats.
• Access
• Narrow aisle ways.

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School Bus Systems

• Similar to other vehicles, School buses have
  batteries, fuel systems, air bags and seat belts.

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Storage Compartments

• Built around the chassis
• Provides false support system for struts
  cribbing
• Light gauge steel / NO structural support
• Accessed from both sides
• Whats inside the storage compartment?

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Battery Access

• Rear Drivers-Side Compartment
• 3-6 batteries
• Slide tray
• Terminate Negative
• Disconnect (or)
• Double Cut
• Follow Dept Procedures

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Engine Access

• All cab-over buses have engines mounted in the
  rear of the bus

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Fuel Systems

• Fuel systems vary
• Diesel
• Gas
• Butane
• Propane
• Natural Gas
• Hybrid
• Be aware of the various fuel systems, be prepared
  to contain fuel spillage

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Safety Features

• On-board Fire Extinguishers
• Emergency Escape Windows Roof Hatches

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School Bus Access

• The weakest to strongest parts of a school bus
  are as follows and should be considered as you
  gain access
• 1. Windows
• 2. Windshield
• 3. Doors
• 4. The structure itself

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Access

• Gaining access to the Cab can be simple to
  complex
• Try before you Pry
• Conscious driver, ask them to open the door
• Emergency Exits
• Windows, Doors, and/or Roof hatches
• Unconscious, utilize a pike pole through door
  window
• The goal is to find a way IN and a way OUT

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Access Issues

• Resting on its wheels
• Emergency Exits
• Resting on its side
• Remove front window as the Entry Point
• Remove rear window as the Egress Point
• Best operation is to operate the locking
  mechanism from the inside
• Totally remove the door
• Resting on its top
• Remove windows and exit doors

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Window Removal

• Remove two windows and the post to create a large
  access/egress point for rescuers and victims
• The window frame can be removed with a screw
  driver, window punch or hydraulic cutters
• Laminated Glass on Windshield
• Remove the rubber seal from window frame to pull
  windshield out intact
• Tempered Glass on sides

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Making a door from a window

• Once the glass is removed, utilize the cutters or
  reciprocating saw
• Determine the size of the opening
• Cut away the pillars
• Cut down to the floor board

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Stabilization

• School buses are large vehicles weighing up to
  and in excess of 12 tons.
• Overall Size Height and Weight
• Requires a large amount of cribbing
• Box cribbing will eventually distribute the
  weight
• Struts prevent horizontal movement
• Their size creates stabilization obstacles not
  normally dealt with in passenger vehicles
• Any shifting can harm rescuers and victims
• Be aware of surroundings, identify a way out if
  conditions change

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Stabilization Concerns

• Traditional Stabilization techniques
• Chock the wheels
• Terminate electrical system
• Set Airbrake
• Turn OFF ignition
• Do NOT deflate tires
• 6 or more inches of downward movement on one side
  may cause a drastic tilt
• Bus may not be totaled and will need to be moved
  or towed

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Stabilization Basics

• Utilizing Stabilization Struts
• Remove compartment door (s) for proper anchoring
  point
• You must find a safe solid anchoring point
• The black band is a safe anchoring point

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Stabilization Basics

• If you choose to utilize box cribbing you must
  gain access to the frame rails
• Standard to Large dimensional lumber will be
  required

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Extrication Tools

• The tools needed for bus extrication operations
  are carried on most fire engines
• The reciprocating saw is an excellent tool, it is
  light weight, smaller, allowing firefighters to
  cut overhead and in tight spaces
• Allows for quick work, electric powered are more
  reliable then battery powered
• Require 25 replacement blades

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Extrication Tools

• Tools and equipment that may be needed
• Axes, Sledgehammers, Pry bars, Pike Poles,
  Utility Knives
• Hydraulic Spreaders/Cutters/Ram
• Cribbing (standard and large dimensional lumber)
• Struts
• Lifting Airbags
• Air Chisels
• PERSONNEL

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Bus Vs. Vehicle Under-Ride

• Tunneling Operations are labor intensive and
  time consuming
• The bus must be properly stabilized/to include
  suspension
• The vehicle must be stabilized / strap suspension
  to gain additional work space

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Bus Vs. Vehicle T-Bone

• Perform all standard stabilization procedures
  before extrication operations begin
• Due to the height of a bus most accidents will be
  under-ride accidents that require some form of
  tunneling procedure
• Depending on patient location extrication
  procedures can be simple to technical

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Rear Access

• Similar to a third door conversion on an
  extended cab vehicle
• Cut the top pillar
• Make a relief cut and or cut the remainder of the
  paneling away with the cutters or Reciprocating
  saw
• Reciprocating saw is the preferred tool

Photos courtesy of Brian Craig photography
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Roof Removal

• Roof construction consists of two layers of metal
  separated by insulation
• Time consuming if correct tools are not utilized
• Circular saw
• Plunge blade deep enough to cut through both
  layers of metal and bracings
• Reciprocating saw
• Have extra blades on hand
• Air chisel
• Have extra SCBA bottles available

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Seat Removal

• Once access is gained to the seat and floor board
  the hydraulic cutters or spreaders can be
  utilized to remove the seat mounts from the floor
  board
• Place the tips of the spreaders between the
  floorboard and mounting brackets and pop the
  seats from the floor
• Place the cutting blades at the lowest point on
  the mounting brackets, then cut through the light
  gauge steel

Photos courtesy of Brian Craig photography
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School Bus Fires

• Traditional vehicle fire tactics should be used
• Fuel Tanks are major hazard
• Up to 100 gallons of diesel
• Greater than 55 gallons is considered a
  Hazardous Material
• Plastic fuel tanks mounted under the chassis
• Major fuel spill hazards

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Suppression Operations

• Follow all vehicle fire suppression tactics
• Conventional Cab / Front mounted engine
• Cab-Over / Rear mounted engine

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The END

• There is a great deal to learn about school buses
  and the challenges posed at a crash scene.
• Training Preplanned coordination between fire
  emergency services and local school
  transportation representatives can lead to a more
  effective and efficient operation

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References

• Paul Hasenmeier, City of Huron Fire Department
• Tom Kiurski, Livonia MI Fire Rescue
• Gig Harbor Fire Medic One
• Brian Livingston, LN Curtis