Bossier Parish bus driver honored after saving choking kindergartner

The Bossier Parish School Board on March 6 recognized transportation employee Debbie Lockey after Lockey performed the Heimlich maneuver to free a choking kindergarten student on a bus in Plain Dealing earlier in January.

Sonya Bell, public relations liaison for Bossier Parish Schools, told the board that Lockey “immediately started administering the Heimlich maneuver,” and after three or four thrusts the child expelled a quarter that had been blocking the airway. Bell said Lockey then reassured the student and completed the route.

Plain Dealing assistant principal Dr. Anita Zapate reviewed bus camera footage and told district leaders that Lockey’s quick action saved the student’s life. Transportation Director Colonel Dave Hatton praised Lockey’s work in rural routes that include unlit stops and tight turnarounds, calling her a “guardian angel on wheels,” the board heard.

Lockey, a 35-year employee of the district’s transportation department, received the board’s Gold Star Award and an award of excellence medallion. Jill Valentine, representing the award sponsor, presented the recognition at the meeting and remarked that the nomination “stood out by far” because Lockey went beyond her duties to save a child.

The board’s recognition emphasized first-aid training for staff. Bell noted that Lockey had received extensive first-aid training during her career and that the incident demonstrated the value of that training for student safety.

The board acknowledged the award during the recognition portion of its March 6 regular session.