Yesterday, toward the end of his route taking students home from school, Pirate Bus Driver Tim Reed noticed smoke coming from the bottom of the bus. He stopped the bus and quickly investigated. Seeing the bus battery area was actually on fire, he evacuated his four bus riders to safety. Making sure the students were upwind, he used the bus fire extinguisher and put out the flames. Says Mr. Reed, "As soon as I got out of my seat to tell the kids to line up, they were already in line, standing in the aisle at the emergency exit, calmly and quietly waiting for me to give them direction. It was clear the kids knew what to do before I even said a word.” Shout out to elementary principal Wendy Conover and her campus for teaching and training these students so well.

William Cross, Director of Operations, says, "My hat's off to Armando Esquibel, our transportation manager. He makes sure all our drivers are trained, not only to be safe drivers, but to handle other potential emergency situations - protecting students as the first priority." According to Mr. Cross, the fire occurred during the elementary route, and a large majority of our other drivers jumped in without hesitation to get the four students home, and then to provide Mr. Reed's high school and junior high bus riders a way home in a timely manner. Even the Lytle Volunteer Fire Department deployed their truck, but the fire had been extinguished appropriately.

 

Says superintendent Michelle Carroll Smith, "I'm proud that every one of our Pirate Staff Family involved stepped up to take care of our kids. Transportation gets a high five and some donuts." And this morning, she was happy to make

that special delivery.