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Transportation safety officer outlines accident‑review policy and driver checks for RSU 18 buses
Summary
Richard, a district safety officer and long‑time bus driver, presented an accident‑review policy that emphasizes immediate reporting, round‑table reviews, annual license checks, and monthly safety‑committee meetings; board members praised the thoroughness and discussed embedding procedures into SOPs.
Richard, a district safety officer and bus driver, presented a handout describing the district’s accident‑review policy and safety procedures and urged continued vigilance following high‑profile bus fatalities elsewhere in the state.
Richard said the district documents incidents immediately with reports and photos, submits driver reports to central office within an hour when possible, and conducts a round‑table review including the driver, the transportation director, mechanics and the SRO. “Kids is 1st priority,” Richard said, explaining that reviews aim to identify corrective actions and prevent recurrence.
He described annual checks of driver records through the state system and said that, since he began the program, the district now rechecks drivers annually and runs thorough inspections of buses and school buildings for egress and fire‑safety issues. Richard said he coordinates training with the Maine Department of Education’s transportation coordinator and will assist with a training session in March.
Board members commended the depth of the reviews and asked that critical practices be embedded into written SOPs to ensure continuity if personnel change. A board member said the accident review component is unusually thorough and collaborative compared with other districts, and staff indicated standard operating procedures and committee meeting minutes document the process.
The safety committee meets monthly with 15–18 regular participants, Richard said; the committee looks for common causes in incidents and makes recommendations for maintenance, training and policy changes. No formal board action was taken at the meeting; the report was informational and staff will continue to embed procedures into district policy and summer maintenance planning.
