Katunga Primary School School Bus Emergency Management Plan February, 2016
6.11 Emergencies 6.11.1 Emergency Management Plan Each school is required to develop an emergency management plan that must include emergency procedures in the event of a breakdown, accident, bush fire and other emergency situations. Emergency procedures should be established in consultation with bus contractors and should be endorsed by local or regional officers of DEECD, DOT, Country Fire Authority (CFA), Police, Vic Roads and other emergency services. A checklist should located in each bus clearly outlining the responsibilities of the driver and the bus captain in the event of an emergency. It should include instructions for notifying emergency services and emergency telephone numbers for DOT, the emergency services, the school and the DEECD Regional Emergency Management Officer. In the event that a bus passenger requires urgent medical attention: the bus driver should act to immediately request an ambulance if the situation is serious, life-threatening or it is warranted in the circumstances contact a parent/guardian, doctor and the coordinating school principal(s), and when it is safe to do so, the bus should resume its normal route. Bus drivers and contractors must have a policy in place for the procedure to be followed should a passenger require emergency medical assistance. 6.11.2 Emergency procedures If an emergency occurs during school time in an area serviced by the school ALL students on possible affected bus routes will be held at their school until the all-clear is given: Service Operators should make themselves aware of possible hazards on their routes and determine areas of temporary refuge (this information must also be held by the Principal of the Bus Coordinating School and the DEECD Regional Emergency Officer). Buses with students on board must not leave the school without the approval of the Principal or his or her delegate. Bus drivers should carry some form of communication device to contact Emergency Services (typically police) or the school or Service Operator. Service Operators must act to ensure that Emergency Services (typically police) and the Principal of the Bus Coordinating School are notified immediately if a bus is delayed en route. Bus drivers must not allow students to alight from buses if fires are burning in the area unless caregivers/parents are waiting for them. If no-one is waiting, buses will take students to the nearest safe area with guidance provided by the Principal of the Bus Coordinating School. Safe areas are to be agreed to in advance by police and the Principal of the Bus Coordinating School. Service Operators should have a card prominently displayed at all times showing telephone numbers of: school, Police, and local CFA units If the road is blocked, the driver should take advice from the Principal of the Bus Coordinating School or return to the school if possible, unless otherwise directed by Emergency Services personnel. 6.11.3 Operational Management In Predicted Emergency situations you will be contacted in advance by your Region s DEECD Regional Emergency Officer to confirm the cancellation of your school s bus services. In Predicted Emergency situations if a route is cancelled, it is cancelled for the entire route. Route modification is only possible in Rapid Onset emergencies when the normal school bus service becomes emergency transport. A bus route could be closed even though the school that it serves remains open as that route could be identified as travelling through an at-risk area. This could have implications for student attendance. If there is a Rapid Onset Emergency it will be the Principal of the Bus Coordinating School who coordinates the emergency management of student transport for the schools on their network. If you are the Principal of a Bus Client school, then you will work with the Principal of the Bus Coordinating School to ensure the safety
of your students. Final decisions on route cancellation and modification rest with the Principal of the Bus Coordinating School. Whilst it is acknowledged that rapid onset emergency circumstances may preclude this, it is expected that direction from the Regional Director concerning route cancellations is obtained whilst decisions are being made. This should be through the DEECD Regional Emergency Officer. A School Bus Emergency Coordination Group comprised of DEECD regional transport staff and Department of Transport regional officers will come together during emergencies to coordinate student transport activity during any emergency. Both the Principal of a Bus Client school and the Principal of a Bus Coordinating School should provide outof-hours numbers to the regional emergency management team to be used in any emergency situations. Both the Principal of a Bus Client School and the Principal of a Bus Coordinating School should have access to route details and emergency contact details for all student passengers at all times, during school and outof-hours. This enables them to contact parents with details of any route cancellations or modifications. 6.11.4 Additional Information Guidance and information on any emergency and the local situation should be obtained from: Emergency and Security Management Unit (ESMU) - (03) 9589 6266 Local emergency services Region s Emergency Duty Manager call your Regional office switchboard to confirm the number. School Bus Emergency Coordination Group call your Regional office switchboard to confirm the number. It will be located in DEECD regional offices during periods of emergency planning. 6.11.5 Confirmation of Closures Parents are notified in several ways: Following a Predicted Emergency notification, the notification templates issued by DEECD should be used for communication with the parents. Following a Rapid Onset Emergency, the decision is made between the Principal of a Bus Client school and the Principal of a Bus Coordinating School as to how contact is made with parents of students whose bus routes have been affected by an emergency. DEECD will publish all confirmed route cancellations on the DEECD website once they have been confirmed by the region s School Bus Emergency Coordination Group.
Emergency Procedure - Contact Telephone Numbers Principal Katunga Primary School Scott McKenzie School: (03) 5864 6365 Home: (03) 5480 0466 Mobile: 0437 693350 Emergency and Security Management Unit (ESMU) (03) 9589 6266 Police / Ambulance / Fire 000 Hume Region Department of Education & Early Childhood Development (03) 5761 2100 State Emergency Services Flood and Storm 132500 (03) 5762 6253 (North East Region HQ)
Routes
Details of Passengers Western Route
Details of Passengers Eastern Route
Notice of concern regarding student bus traveller (To be completed by the bus driver or the coordinating principal. Bus drivers will report via their supervisor where appropriate each time an incident occurs) Student Date /./ Bus driver Schools should ensure that they have the details of the factual basis upon which they consider that a student has misbehaved before stating so in writing to the child's parents/caregivers or others. Your child has disobeyed the rules in the following manner: Distracting the driver by being noisy or aggressive Using offensive language Not remaining in seat Wilful damage to bus property Putting limbs or objects out of windows Aggressive behaviour towards other children Rudeness to the driver Bullying/teasing Throwing objects in bus or out of windows Failing to follow instructions of either the driver or the bus captain Failing to follow rules of safe bus travel Other (details below): Comments on your child s behaviour Bus driver s signature Date Contractors signature /./ Student is to be suspended from travel until this form is signed by the parent/guardian Please sign and return by /./ Parent/caregiver s signature Date /./ Please note: Students who continually break the conditions of bus travel will lose the privilege of travelling on the bus for an appropriate period of time, as determined by the coordinating principal. If that occurs, parents/caregivers will need to make alternative arrangements to transport their child to school. Please feel free to contact the school if you wish to discuss this matter further. See back for Bus Safety Requirements. Notice of Concern, Bus Passenger
To ensure the safety of all passengers on school buses at all times the following conditions apply. All students must: Obey instructions from the driver, bus captain, bus duty teacher/bus network coordinator or coordinating principal. Wait at bus-stop in an orderly fashion and not approach the bus until it has stopped. Be punctual at the pick-up or drop-off (morning and night) Enter and leave a bus in an orderly manner. Not move around the bus in transit but remain seated at all times. No part of any passenger or object in their possession is to protrude out of windows or doors. Boisterous conduct, including the use of bad language or any action that may cause distress to other students or distract the driver, will not be tolerated (for example, spraying of aerosol cans). Students must converse quietly and not call out to passing traffic or fellow students. Storage of bags will be in accordance with advice from the driver. Students have access to their allocated bus only. This will not be changed to meet sporting or social arrangements. Students travelling to school by bus who intend not using the bus for the return trip should, out of courtesy, inform the driver. After alighting from the bus, the student must remain on the side of the road and should only cross the road after the bus has driven off and it is safe to do so. All students must treat others with courtesy and consideration. Not throw any object within or from a bus. No food or drink is to be consumed on a school bus. Smoking, cigarette lighters and matches are strictly forbidden on school buses. Follow and abide by the school s Code of Conduct while undertaking bus travel.
Conditions of Bus Travel Safety Requirements Moving passengers to and from school safely is our number one priority. It is up parents, principals, drivers and passengers to make the bus environment a safe one. To help promote safe school bus behaviour, parents are encouraged to discuss these guidelines with their children. To ensure the safety of all passengers on school buses at all times the following conditions apply. To ensure safe travel on school buses, students must agree to the following: At the bus-stop do not play on the road or try to get on the bus before it has stopped. Make sure you and your belongings are inside the bus at all times. Do not throw anything from a bus window or have anything hanging out a window. Place bags and other belongings in the allocated storage areas. Get on and off the bus quietly and in an orderly manner. Stay in your seat while the bus is moving. Do not distract drivers with screaming, shouting or unruly behaviour. When you get off the bus only cross the road when the bus has left and it is safe to do so. No dangerous or flammable goods are allowed on the bus, for example aerosol cans. Seat belts must be worn where fitted. To ensure passengers are considerate to one another and their bus driver, they must agree to: In the morning, arrive at the bus-stop 10 minutes prior to departure. Do not eat, drink or smoke while on the school bus. In the morning, let the school and driver know if you will not be riding home on the bus that day. Get on the bus service allocated to you. Do not change to one that will take you to a sports or social event. Use a standard conversational tone and do not call out to others on board or to passing traffic or people. Listen to the bus driver and bus captain. They are responsible for maintaining school bus safety and also have the authority to report any misbehaviour or vandalism. If you ride a bike to the bus-stop, please leave it in a safe and secure place. The Department of Transport and the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development are unable to accept responsibility for the safety of your bike. Behaving inappropriately on a school bus places the safety and wellbeing of all on board at risk. Non-compliance with any of the above conditions may result in the following: The driver will stop the bus. The offender s name and full details of the breach will be recorded. The offender will be carried to school or to their normal drop-off. The breach will be reported to the coordinating principal. The coordinating principal will take disciplinary measures in accordance with the guidelines below. In rare and exceptional circumstances and only as a last resort drivers are authorised to eject passengers from a bus. (Refer to Policy and Procedures for Contract School contract bus services in Rural and Regional Victoria, Section 8.3.)
Following the report of a relevant incident, the coordinating principal who may take the disciplinary action below: First offence verbal warning to student Second offence written warning to parent/guardian Third offence one week suspension of student from school bus travel Fourth offence the student will not be allowed to travel on the school bus for the remainder of the year. Responsibilities of Parents/Guardians Parents/guardians are responsible for transporting their children to and from authorised bus-stops and for their safety at the bus-stop while waiting for the bus. It is most important that parents waiting for bus passengers at a roadside bus-stop should wait on the same side of the road as the bus. This will prevent accidents.
Expectations of Bus Captains This information is designed to assist a principal in providing bus captains with information about their rights, responsibilities and obligations. Bus captains are appointed to assist the driver with supervision. Under the coordinating principal s direction, they have full authority and should be instructed to report all misbehaviour and vandalism to the coordinating principal. Bus captains should know that the following rules are to be rigidly enforced: Passengers must wait at the bus-stop in an orderly fashion; refrain from playing on the roadway; and not attempt to approach the bus until it has stopped. No passenger is to board or leave a bus while it is in motion. Passengers must board or leave the bus in a quiet orderly fashion. Passengers allocated a seat must remain seated for the whole of the journey. No pupil should, under any circumstances, have any part of his/her body protruding from a bus or throw any object within or from a bus. Boisterous conduct or horse-play or any action which may distract the driver is not allowed. Students should converse in a normal tone of voice at all times and refrain from calling out to others on board the bus or to passing traffic. No food or drink is to be consumed on school buses. Smoking by any person is not permitted on a school bus. Students must not talk to the driver while the bus is in motion. Compliance with the school s Code of Conduct while undertaking bus travel.