New York State School Bus Safety Road-eo Slated

ALBANY, NY (07/12/2013)(readMedia)-- The Cyr Foundation for Excellence in School Transportation and the New York Association for Pupil Transportation will conduct the NEW YORK SCHOOL BUS SAFETY ROAD-EO DAY on July 13, 2013.

We are pleased to announce that the events of the Road-eo will be held on the grounds of the Center for Disability Services at 700 South Pearl Street in Albany, NY.

NYAPT and the Cyr Foundation are grateful for this opportunity to partner with the Center for Disability Services in Albany to present this important school bus safety event. The Center offers a rich 65 year history of providing expert care for individuals with disabilities and chronic medical conditions in the Capital Region.

The Road-eo events test the driving skills of school bus drivers from all parts of the State. These individuals qualified for the State level Road-eo events by nature of having won their local and regional events over the spring months.

NYAPT President, Richard Gallagher, noted that "the School Bus Road-eo Day is a special day because the industry comes together to focus on the good work that our bus drivers and attendants and technicians do each day to assure the safety of our children. They come to compete but they also come to learn from one another and from our judges and instructors. It is a day to celebrate the safety and success of the yellow school bus!"

During the course of the day, three separate Road-eo events will be on-going:

• State School Bus Road-eo: some 85 school bus drivers will test their skills in a competition that includes proper pre-trip procedures, special turning and maneuvering, loading and unloading students, railroad crossing protocols and related challenges. There are competitions set up for drivers who specialize in conventional school buses, van-style school buses and transit-style school buses. The winners of each competitive class will qualify to move on to the national School Bus Safety Roadeo next summer. The events are coordinated by Cheryl Dalton of Saratoga Springs City School District and Whitney Colvin of Brittonkill Central School District.

• Special Needs Road-eo: five teams of school bus drivers and school bus attendants will be tested for their knowledge of transporting students with disabilities and special needs. They will test and compete on skills including evacuation techniques, behavior management, loading and unloading and safety procedures related to wheel chair transports. The winner of the competition will qualify to move on to the national Transporting Students with Disabilities Roadeo event next spring. The Special Needs Road-eo is coordinated by Debora Bowen of Canandaigua City School District.

• Technicians/Mechanics Road-eo: seven technicians from across the state will be tested for their knowledge of the school bus, preventive maintenance, troubleshooting and repair of mechanical and safety deficiencies. The winner of the competition will qualify to move on to the national "America's Best Technician" competition. The Tech/Mech Road-eo is coordinated by Thomas Weeks of Student Transportation America (STA).

The New York State Bus Distributors Association serves as the overall sponsor for the day and their generous support is appreciated. Their members are New York-based companies that serve as distributors for the major brands of school buses used by school districts and private contractors to transport our children. As such, they are an integral part of the school transportation safety community and do their part to ensure the safety of our children.

The NYSBDA members also will provide scholarships for the winners of the Roadeo events to travel to and participate in the respective national competitions.

The members of the NYSBDA include: Bird Bus Sales, Collins Bus , Don Brown Bus Sales, Inc., Factory Direct Bus Sales, Leonard Bus Sales, Inc., Matthews Buses, Inc., Nesco Bus and Truck Sales, New York Bus Sales, LLC, Reichenbach Enterprises, and Truck King International.

In addition, Q'Straint/Sure-Lok, Inc., have provided sponsorship support specifically for the Special Needs Road-eo. Q'Straint/Sure-Lok manufacture and distribute securement and related safety systems that ensure safe bus rides for students with special needs.

During the course of the day, drivers, mechanics and attendants will be given the opportunity to participate in learning activities including Post Trip inspection techniques and best practices and the Q'Straint/Sure-Lok securement system training program.

All these drivers, technicians and attendants are dedicated first and foremost to the safety of the 2.3 million children who ride on yellow school buses each day. We are proud of their work and the role they play in school bus safety.

For the Children!