submitted by Brian Bushner
Despite the mild December we have had in our area, winter weather has slowly arrived and our transportation department is ready.
[private]When winter storms are approaching, Transportation Supervisor Joe Steller is up early and out on the roads evaluating conditions. Stellar begins his day at 4 am, traveling to the highest elevations in the district, as well as other areas that may become trouble spots. He is simultaneously in contact with the area highway departments, as well as checking the radar.
By 4:45 am, Steller calls Superintendent of Schools Ken Facin and reports on the road conditions. The two have a conversation, and if the roads are not safe for the buses, Facin delays or closes school for the day.
Once the decision is made that there will be a delay or closure, the all-call system is activated which delivers the message via telephone to parents and staff.
There will, however, be times when Hoosick Falls school buses are on the road, and there is precipitation. All of the drivers meet every morning when they arrive to discuss the roads, safety, and support one another.
When it comes to winter weather, the drivers know that being safe is more important than being on time. Safety extends beyond the bus to the bus stops. HFCS bus drivers are trained to talk to students about conduct at the bus stop. Being alert, remaining visible, and staying off of snowbanks are some of the safety points drivers share with the students.
Many of the buses have on-spot chains installed, which can be activated by the push of a button while driving. The district also owns two four-wheel drive vehicles.
If the school is in session and there is bad weather, drivers come in early. The drivers will activate the chains and work as a team to get the kids home safely.
Steller talks to the road crews to see where the bad areas are so the administration can plan how to get the kids home safely. If there is a delay or an early dismissal, notification is given to the county, town, and village crews so they know when the buses will be on the roads. This communication helps road crews to clear the bus routes.
Each bus is equipped with a two-way radio so that drivers can instantly communicate with the transportation supervisor, the high school office, elementary office, all administrators, and each other.
Another element of transportation safety is to keep the busses clean. Ed Wright is the primary bus washer, and he does an excellent job. Washing the buses helps make the yellow more visible, and keeps headlights and warning lights clear. Buses that are traveling out of the district always get priority for bus washing.
Harold Hoffman is the District’s bus mechanic, and he does an outstanding job of keeping the buses maintained. This time of year, Hoffman has all of thebuses winterized, putting on new wipers, snow tires, topping off washer fluid, and seeing to other winter needs.
Steller says of his drivers, “I’m so very proud of how the transportation team works together during challenging weather conditions. This team always puts student safety as their priority, no matter what the weather.”
Last school year (2014-15) Hoosick Falls Central School buses safely traveled 340,185 miles on our bus routes, field trips, and sporting events.[/private]