EI 124 TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION DEVICES ON SCHOOL BUSES

School bus drivers who transport students on the streets of our nation's largest cities and those who transport students on the back roads in rural areas face the same problems and potential hazards. Yet, most of those school bus drivers do not have quick access to police, fire and rescue help in the event of an emergency; and

The best solution to this problem is the installation of two-way communication devices on school buses so drivers can be in constant and immediate contact with a bus dispatcher. In the past, both cost and inferior technology have been drawbacks. These problems have been resolved by the development of advanced technologies with broader transmission ranges and lower cost. While the initial outlay may still seem prohibitive to some school district officials, the cost of not installing two-way communication devices may be even greater. Some school districts that have installed equipment have been able to find creative ways to fund these programs(from grants to donations and support from business and community groups:

RESOLVED, that AFT and its local affiliates actively encourage school districts to investigate the possibility of installing two-way communication devices on school buses; and

RESOLVED, that AFT provide information to local affiliates that can be shared with school boards on innovative ways to fund installation of this life-saving equipment.

(Executive Council 1996)