|
|
|
|
OSBA Successfully Hosts Alcohol and Drug Policy Workshop
 On May 8th, 2019, OSBA successfully hosted a one-day alcohol and drug policy workshop at the Sandman Signature Toronto Airport Hotel. The workshop provided an opportunity for the over 30 attendees to work with Barbara Butler, a well-respected expert in this field, and learn about the development and updating of company alcohol and drug policies to address fitness for duty requirements in the workplace.
The workshop came about due to the demand from membership for more tools to address the legalization of Cannabis and changes to impaired driving laws. Topics of discussion included industry trends, Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), alcohol and drug testing, policy implementation considerations, and a walkthrough of a sample alcohol and drug policy document to explore the importance and application of various fitness for duty considerations. The workshop was also tailored to focus on the student transportation industry.
For further information, or to provide any comments, please contact the OSBA Safety and Legislation Team – abugeya@osba.on.ca or 416-695-9965 Ext. 4.
|
|
What To Know About School Bus Surveillance Before You Buy
Full Article: School Transportation News
Article Date: May 10, 2019
Video systems provider REI recently presented a webinar that took a brand-agnostic look at school bus surveillance and gave tips on what to look for throughout the purchasing process. Presenters advised completing thorough research, asking questions and conducting testing before settling on a bus camera system to use.
 Lending his experience on the webinar was Charlie Ott, Director of Transportation at Fremont Unified School District in Fremont, CA. The 25-year veteran of student transportation said he has up to nine cameras on some of his buses: Three on each side, one each at the front and back, and one looking out the front window. Even on a smaller bus, there could be up to five, depending on the route needs. He has tested and used multiple camera systems on his school buses. Of the systems currently on the market, Ott said that most seem to be reliable and dependable. “The bigger issue is capturing what we need and having the quality of the video to see what’s going on,” he said. “Take a good look at technology and evaluate systems.”
Acknowledging the confusing nature of many technical terms involved in such discussions, Spencer Schiefelbein, Director of Business and Channel Development at REI, spent some time “lift(ing) the hood on surveillance.”
Video Quality
Ott said that common RFPs typically include DVRs (digital video recorders) that record at a high quality of 1080p and 30 frames/second per camera, on up to six channels of video. Hard drives are usually capable of storing a minimum of 30 days of video.
The term “1080p” refers to pixels on a screen, or how sharp the image is. Schiefelbein explained that 1080p on a smaller screen may work fine, but when bigger screens are in use, the image is distorted and looks blurry. He then showed a slide demonstrating that even 1080p videos are not equal in terms of quality. One video may allow transportation staff to zoom in and read what’s on a student’s phone if needed, while another may be too blurry to show if a student is tearing up a bus seat.
Bit rate is the speed at which data is processed by the camera and DVR. Ott advised making sure the vendor under consideration is able to answer questions about the bit rate, to ensure that it is high enough to avoid poor quality video. In addition, a high-quality processor is needed to deal with the video coming in, Schiefelbein explained. Multiple channels may also result in a video of lower quality, so the number of school bus cameras in use must be considered when deciding on the needed software.
Wide dynamic range, which refers to the images captured by the camera, is “very important,” Schiefelbein said. The video processing chip in the camera combines the images with different exposures into one image for the staff to view. Lower quality chips or lenses make a difference in the resulting video quality. Sony IMAX chips are reputed to be the best for the industry, he added. Fisheye lenses allow transportation staff to see more of the bus interior. Schiefelbein advised asking for specifics on the height and width of the screen that is actually visible.
When inspecting products personally, Ott advised looking beyond the similar-looking boxes that are offered by many vendors. Schiefelbein encouraged asking questions about the specifications and engineering behind the product.
Are they using aircraft aluminum rather than steel? Are heat and evaporation concerns taken into consideration? Is vibration considered? The supplier should have a good knowledge of its product so that the company can explain these elements.
Video Storage
Next up for discussion was storage options. Typical HD DVR hard drives come with either a hard disk drive (HDD), which uses a storage platter; a solid state drive (SSD), which uses multiple microchips to store information; or a secure digital (SD) card, which uses a microchip to store information. Which one you use, said Schiefelbein, depends on your individual operation’s needs. Making the right choice “really comes down to understanding the technology and how it’s designed.” He recommended buyers ask what the supplier did to test the drive being considered, including with different terrains and heat conditions.
“If we could spend all the money in the world in school transportation, we might not be on this call, but we have a limited budget. To get the best we can for the amount of money we can spend, we are reliant on our distributors to be doing these things,” observed Ott.
Schiefelbein noted that suppliers should have the tools to help you pick the best system, based on your operation’s needs. To maximize coverage of the bus interior, as well as storage, Schiefelbein recommended dual-stream recording. This captures multiple video streams, some at a higher quality and others at a lower quality. This then results in more recording time or allows more than one video viewpoints. This can come in handy in getting to the bottom of incidents like bullying situations.
The frame rate is measured in frames per second or fps. While a common misconception is that you must have a higher fps for acceptable video quality, Schiefelbein said that lower rates like 15 fps still achieve a “happy medium” between quality and maximizing storage space. Ott confirmed this, saying that with his video set at 15 FPS, he gets “a lot more storage and the quality is just as good.”
Thinking About the Future
Schiefelbein said that school bus surveillance systems may soon have potential tie-ins with student tracking, facial recognition, driver alcohol detection, seat belt sensors, 360-degree cameras with danger zone integration, on-bus Wi-Fi, AI driver behavior analysis and more.
Ott cautioned that poor-quality installation sometimes negatively affects not only the video system but sometimes damages the school bus itself. He proposed asking the supplier to install it on its own dime, to prove that the company is confident in how well its product works. “Make sure you’re not buying something simply because of relationships,” Ott counseled. “Make sure that you are testing the product—that you’re actually putting it in one of your buses.”
"Make sure that manufacturer has answers,” Schiefelbein advised, “And if it doesn’t, or if it takes them three weeks to respond to you, maybe they’re not the right company to go with.”
Watch the full recorded webinar for free here.
|
|
49th Annual School Bus Driver International Safety Competition
The National School Transportation Association (NSTA) International School Bus Driver Safety Competition is just three months away. The Committee, under the direction of Bill Loshbough, is hard at work getting things ready for the July 20-21, 2019 competition in Austin, TX. They are looking forward to bringing the Best of the Best School Bus Drivers together to celebrate their 2019 School Bus Driver International Safety Competition Champions!
 You can find all the registration and detail regarding the NSTA 2019 School Bus Driver International Safety Competition on the NSTA website at www.yellowbuses.org or call their office at (703) 684-3200 if you have questions and we can put you in touch with the Committee. Below are a few of the highlights.
Competition Handbook: Updated handbook for 2019 - click here for the handbook.
Eligibility: For any contestant to be accepted for the School Bus Driver International Safety Competition, NSTA must receive information detailing the date and location of the state competition event as well as the public sector winner's highest score in each school bus class and the top private sector winner's highest score in each school bus class from that state competition event.
Registration: The cost of registration is $55 per driver - click here for registration.
The Committee is also looking for judges for the day of the event. If you are interested please let the office know or complete a judge application form by clicking here.
Deadline: For submitting a contestant application is July 15, 2019.
Hotel Information: Hyatt Regency Austin. Discounted room rates at Hyatt Regency Austin are available at $174 single/double, $199 triple and $224 quadruple occupancy. Reservations can be made by calling (512) 477-1234 and referring to the National School Transportation Association (NSTA) rate.
Questions: If you have questions, please contact Jessica Pinkerton Jpinkerton@yellowbuses.org or NSTA Office at info@yellowbuses.org
|
|
Canada's Volunteer Awards - Call for Nominations
The time has come to recognize the significant contributions of volunteers who are making this nation stronger.
The call for nominations for Canada’s Volunteer Awards is now open! You are invited to:
- nominate a not-for-profit organization, an individual, a group, a social enterprise or a business that is making a difference in their community to receive an award; and
- promote the call for nominations to your stakeholders.
The call for nominations is open until June 21, 2019.
Awards will be presented in the following categories:
- one national award – Thérèse Casgrain Lifelong Achievement Award for individuals who have volunteered for at least 20 years;
- five regional awards – Emerging Leader for young volunteers between the ages of 18 and 30;
- five regional awards – Community Leader for individuals or groups of volunteers;
- five regional awards – Business Leader to recognize businesses that demonstrate social responsibility; and
- five regional awards – Social Innovator to recognize the contributions of not-for-profit organizations or social enterprises.
Award recipients will be recognized at a ceremony, and each recipient gets to choose a not for profit organization to receive a grant of $5,000 (regional award) or $10,000 (national award).
Help highlight Canada’s volunteer culture! Let's give Canada's volunteers the recognition they deserve.
For more information, please visit Canada.ca/volunteer-awards or call 1-877-825-0434.
|
|
School Bus Driver Honored on Good Morning America for Mother’s Day
Full Article: School Bus Fleet
Article Date: May 15, 2019
A school bus driver in Plant City, FL was honored on Good Morning America with a special Mother's Day breakfast last week for her kindness towards students. Terrie Campbell, who has been driving for Hillsborough County Public Schools in Florida for over two decades, won the news program's annual Mother’s Day “Breakfast in Bed” after being nominated by her sister, Margo Lewis. Lewis wrote in a letter to Good Morning America that Campbell’s “calling was now to take care of other kids” since her own children were old enough to attend school.
Lewis later told Campbell during the segment that she nominated her because she wanted the world to see how much she does for her students and how caring she is. Campbell was served breakfast in bed by Chef Emeril Lagasse and hotel and resort chain Hilton, which also awarded her an all-expenses-paid vacation to Mexico.
Lewis told Good Morning America that Campbell often helps with various concerns her students might have, “whether it’s their hygiene, their clothes, their shoes, food.” One of Campbell’s students said during the segment that she is “like our extra mom to us.” Another student also recalled a time in which Campbell helped prevent her from being bullied.
Daphne Blanton, the Principal for Marshall Middle School, told Good Morning America that by the time students arrive at school, “They’re already in a good mood because she’s laughing with them.” Blanton also said that Campbell cares about her students from “start to finish” and that she “goes above and beyond.”
Hillsborough County Public Schools congratulated and thanked Campbell in a post on the district's Facebook page. View the full post below, and watch the Good Morning America segment honoring Campbell here.
|
|
 OSBA Webinar Changed to Tuesday, June 11, 2019
Due to scheduling conflicts with several other OSBA priorities, the OSBA webinar scheduled for Wednesday, May 15th was rescheduled to Tuesday, June 11th. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. The 45-minute webinar will still take place at the same time (10:00-10:45 am) on June 11th.
To provide feedback or suggest webinar topics, please contact OSBA’s Safety and Legislation Team at abugeya@osba.on.ca or 416.695.9965 Ext. 4. |
|
It's Time to Review Speed Limits on Provincial Highways, Minister Says
Full Article: CBC News
Article Date: May 1, 2019
Ontario's Transportation Minister says the province is planning to review highway speed limits with an aim to raise them but it will consult the public first. Jeff Yurek told the Toronto Region Board of Trade at a downtown hotel onMay 1st that the limits were set years ago. Yurek said the review will include a pilot project and consultation with the public.
"If you look back on the history of why speed limits were set where they were, back in the 70s, there was an energy crisis. In order to conserve fuel, they lowered the speed limits on our highway system and it stayed that way ever since," he said. "I've heard lots of stakeholders mention that maybe it's time to take a review of how our speed limits are in the province."
 An Ontario Provincial Police sergeant, however, reminded the government that drivers operating vehicles traveling at high speeds on highways can cause crashes that lead to death. Sgt. Kerry Schmidt, a spokesperson for the OPP's highway safety division, said the OPP enforces provincial highway speed limits set by Ontario's ministry of transportation. He said the OPP does not lobby or advocate for any change in speed limits.
But Schmidt added that it is a well-known fact that aggressive driving at high speeds can cause crashes that result in death and serious injuries. "The OPP, our role, is to enforce the rules of the road. And those rules are established by the Ministry of Transportation. If the MTO determines that they want to change the maximum speed limits, that is their mandate to do so. We will enforce the laws as they are legislated," he said.
"I can tell you right now that aggressive driving and speeding is one of the leading causes of death and injury on our highways," he added. "The faster vehicles go, the more potential there is for serious injury and death on our highways."
Schmidt said OPP officers patrol highways because drivers in vehicles on those roads are already traveling at high speeds. He added: "If they determine that a change in speed limit is appropriate, once that is established, we would endorse and support that legislation and enforce the rules of the road as they are legislated."
Yurek also told the Toronto Region Board of Trade that the government will hike some fines for people who drive too slowly. "With the changes to our regulations, we are going to increase fines for slow-moving drivers that travel in the left-hand lane — because when people drive dangerously slow — the safety of others is put at risk."
|
|
Enter School Bus Fleet’s Photo Contest
Full Article: School Bus Fleet
Article Date: May 6, 2019
 Grab your cameras (or phones) and start shooting: School Bus Fleet’s annual Photo Contest is back for another round. The competition is open to all kinds of shots related to school transportation. Two winners will each receive a $100 cash prize. The winners plus a few honorable mentions will also earn a certificate.
The judges (SBF’s editors) will look for strong content and quality. Winners and other notable entries will appear in a pictorial feature later in the year. To look at last year’s top shots, go here.
Here are the contest guidelines:
• Entries must be digital images that are high resolution (about 1500x1200 pixels or bigger).
• The limit is three entries per person.
• Entries must be received by Friday, June 14, 2019. Winners will be notified in July.
• All entries become property of School Bus Fleet.
• Email entries to info@schoolbusfleet.com. Include the entrant’s name, title, affiliation, and phone number.
|
|
Reserve Your 2019 P.R.I.D.E. Program Spot Now
Register now for the 2019 Professional Instructor in Driver Education (P.R.I.D.E.) Programs! See below for details. For almost 30 years, the P.R.I.D.E. Program has been providing fleet driver instructors with powerful, non-lecture adult training techniques and philosophies that resonate with drivers and help maintain safe driving habits.
 2019 Regular P.R.I.D.E. Certification Program:
View the full 2019 Program Brochure here
View the 2019 Registration Form here
- May 26-31
- July 7-12
- July 14-19
- August 11-16
- October 20-25
- November 17-22
2019 P.R.I.D.E. Recertification Program:
View the full 2019 Recertification Program Brochure here
View the 2019 Recertification Registration Form here
- June 12
- July 31
- November 6
For questions or more information - please visit http://www.osba.on.ca/programs or contact info@osba.on.ca
|
|
Bus Driver Gets Reflective Belts for her Students
Full Article: School Transportation News
Article Date: May 14, 2019
A school bus driver based in Helena, MN, recently felt the need to make school bus stops safer on her route, after at least 7 kids were killed at bus stops in the United States this past fall, or while loading/unloading their school buses.
 Katee Horner has only been driving for a few months and quickly fell in love with the job and the children. “This is the first year I have been a school bus driver. I didn’t really know if it was something I wanted to do when I first started, but I fell in love with it and all the kids on my school bus,” Horner said.
As Horner was thinking of ways to make the bus stop safer for the children she transports, she was reminded of the days she wore a reflective belt for various training exercises in the United States Army. In the army, the belts were referred to PT belts, physical training belts, and they were worn when running or conducting other activities so that cars were able to see them. “Montana is very dark in the winter. If I am wearing a reflective vest in my school bus yard while I am getting ready to go out on my bus run, those kids aren’t even five minutes away from me waiting to be picked up, also in the dark,” Horner said.
First Student Location Manager Bevann Hamill added that some students are picked up in rural areas, where there are no sidewalks or lights. Especially in the winter there, it can get very dark. Horner said that half the time kids are standing on a dirt road. Horner made it a goal to get as many kids as she can on her route a reflective belt. She also spread the word around to parents, asking them to help out where they can. “It went from the kids on the busiest roads first, because they are the most at danger, and then I just went all around my entire bus route,” Horner said. “I am excited that so many parents like the idea. I also had other local business find out about it and decide it was a very good idea too. [They also] wanted to help me get all my kid’s reflective belts.”
Hamill said when Horner presented the idea to her, she wanted to expand it to other routes and students. The transportation manager for Helena Public Schools and Hamill split the cost and bought belts in bulk.
 “Even if in early summer here, it's bright in the day. But the colors on your clothes blend into all the new colors—the greens and yellows, they are blending in,” Horner said. “But the reflective belt is still making a difference in the daylight time. And I have about 75 percent of my kids still wearing them. I also have a few kids that are close enough to walk home, and they wear them when they walk home from school too.”
Hamill added that Horner has even seen kids on their bikes riding around and wearing the belts. “Especially the younger kids, they really like them,” Hamill said. “She [Horner] has gotten really positive feedback from the kids and the families.”
Horner won second place for her idea in the nationwide safety category for First Student’s “Be First Awards.” Horner said she was honored to just be nominated, and even being chosen as a finalist was “super exciting.” Horner was nominated by her peers and was selected as a finalist. Over 600 nominations were made in 7 different categories. “I said, second place is good enough for me, as long as the word gets around that the safety of our kids is number 1,” Horner said. “And that we need to get our kids more visible to other people, especially in the rural areas. … To save a life, you can’t put a price on it. Yeah, the reflective belts, depending on what kind you get, might be anywhere from $4 to $10, but it’s nothing compared to a child’s life.”
|
|
Order Your OSBA Publications Now!
Visit the OSBA website at www.osba.on.ca and click on the "STORE" tab from the home page to order the following OSBA publications. Or click on the links below and go directly to each order form:
Once you have completed the necessary order form, please scan/email it to info@osba.on.ca or fax it to 416-695-9977.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
