Jeremy Bricks - Pal-Mac Schools Transportation Dep't
“The wheels on the bus go ‘round and ‘round,” the song tells us. But there is no such thing as a “magic” school bus; it takes a whole transportation department to keep those wheels going. Today, it was our honor to welcome Jeremy Bricks, head of the transportation dep’t for the Palmyra-Macedon Central School District. Mr. Bricks oversees all the drivers and maintenance people, and coordinates with the government agencies which regulate school bus operations.
There are three main agencies to deal with: the state Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), the state Education Department and the US Department of Transportation (USDOT). Each has its own set of regulations, which sometimes overlap with the others. The DMV deals with licensing the drivers; the Education Dep’t supervises training of all employees; and USDOT deals with the safety of the vehicles.
The Department of Motor Vehicles requires that all drivers and monitors be fingerprinted. Fingerprints are run every day, looking for flags that prevent a driver from operating a bus. If such a flag were to be found, Mr. Bricks would get a message telling him what was found. Additionally, drivers must report within 5 days any tickets received while operating their own vehicles, or face suspension. Drivers have an annual record review and a physical. DMV requires a written exam and road test to obtain the CDL. These must be repeated every 2 years.
The USDOT handles vehicle inspections and investigates any accidents involving the buses. After any inspection, USDOT can remove a vehicle from service. The agency also oversees the random drug/alcohol testing for the department.
The State Education department sets out the training requirements for all employees. These include a 3-hour pre-service instruction. This program helps prepare drivers and monitors to deal with situations that could come up during a run. Additionally, there is a 30-hour Basic Course of Instruction, required of all potential drivers; and an Advanced Course of Instruction, which includes a refresher of the basic course. The Education Dep’t also requires a physical performance test for drivers and monitors, and fire safety and evacuation drills for students.
To become a bus driver, one must be at least 21 years old. There is no maximum age for drivers, as long as he or she can pass the physical performance test and maintain their CDL. The Pal-Mac School District currently has 49 licensed drivers, some of which are dep’t staff. The department has 3 in-house mechanics, who are responsible for the maintenance and inspection of 49 vehicles. The district’s vehicles will travel a total of 622,000 miles in an average school year.
We'd like to thank Mr. Bricks for his entertaining and informative presentation. Many of us may take for granted that a bus will show up in the morning to take our kids away, and then re-appear later to bring them home. Now we have a better understanding of what goes on behind the scenes, and perhaps a better appreciation of the effort it takes to efficiently transport our children in safety.
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