Planning for school bus accidents

[law607]

I would like to know if anyone has any policy or procedure as it pertains to school bus accidents. Specifically, I would like to know what contingency plans do you have in the event of a large scale school bus accident involving 40 or 50 kids.

[gammyland]

For starter my department is Public Safety so we are both Police and Fire. We have 2 or 3 guys on the road and 1 sits station to "man" one of our 3 fire trucks. We have paid on call "volunteer" fire fighters as well. We are next to a larger City with a full time fire department with 5 stations.
That being said, based on the information given, i.e. unknown accident involving a school bus. We would start our FD as well as the FD of the City next to us and the next neighboring township volunteer FD this would be to deal with patient treatment. Our ambulance service is private in our area but is notified by our dispatch. They would probubly send us everyone they got on duty. If its during school hours and not a field trip or a returning football team we would notify the school district involved to send a bus for the uninjured students. We automatically shut down the road to conduct a thurough accident investigation. Other than that we just treat it like a normal PI but with a larger response. Hope this helps.

[irishdep]

We've never had a school bus accident, thank God, but if we did they would send every available person to the scene. A lot of our guys are also volunteer fireman so one way or another we would have a lot of responders. As far as a plan we would coordinate through our central dispatch and shift commanders.
A few years ago we had two almost simultaneous accidents at opposite ends of our county. There were 9 teenagers involved and when it was over it was a fatal x 9. All 9 kids from 4 different vehicles were gone. I know it will happen but I hope our kids will be safe and we won't have to deal with something like that again.

[law607]

Jesus, that is awlful.

What I was asking I guess is: Assuming that if an accident were to occur, are you or the hospital prepared to handle 40 or 50 kids at once as it is a law in my state that if there is an accident involving a school bus, EVERY child, complaining or not must go to the hospital.

Now, I know these is more of a hospital problem then that of a law enforcement problem but I am thinking in temrs of transportation, investigation.....What if you do have mass casualties..etc...

[irishdep]

Right, I think I got off track but I wanted to share that story. I know our hospital is not equipped 40-50 kids.

[Seventy2002]

What I was asking I guess is: Assuming that if an accident were to occur, are you or the hospital prepared to handle 40 or 50 kids at once ...

We're prepared in the sense that we understand the concept of triage. I don't thinks there's a hospital anywhere that can provide optimal care to 40 to 50 emergency patients.

it is a law in my state that if there is an accident involving a school bus, EVERY child, complaining or not must go to the hospital....

No doubt your state gives allocates lots of $$$ to local emergency medical services. Couldn't tolerate an unfunded mandate where kids are concerned.

[gammyland]

Every Kid/ Adult would go to a triage area before being transported to the hospital. A normal ambulance can transport 2 patients who are on back boards and up to 4 if three of them can sit, i.e. minor injuries. In the triage area we would have an officer or more assigned to get info, names and stuff, from the kids as well as what hospital they are going to. If they cant talk, unconsious, or don't know there name any more we write down there physical description. Be accurate when it comes to clothing and escpecially shoes. Most kids have a pair of "school shoes" a mom or dad may not rememberwhat clothes there kid was wearing when they left but they probubly know what shoes they wear, especially younger kids. If they are getting on a second bus we called to the scene they would stand by untill everyone is taken care of and taken back to or to school. If where you work you are just a cop, remember someone in your area has already planned out what the emergency response is supposed to be in a mass casualty incident. FEMA requires it I think. You really cant write or make a plan on what to do because what ever you plan on the opposite will happen,, Murphy's Law....