LODI, Ohio (WJW) — As students gear up for a new school year, bus drivers in Medina County are also preparing — not just for routes, but for potential emergencies.
Thursday afternoon in Lodi, around 150 school bus drivers from across the county participated in a hands-on safety course: the School Transportation Active Threat Response Training, or START.
“The buses are checked all the time, but nobody has ever talked to drivers about how to recognize a threat — or how to handle it,” said Jim Levine, CEO of START.
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Levine said bus drivers are often the first adults to interact with students each day. That’s why START emphasizes the role they play in spotting early warning signs.
“Who better to notice red flags than a bus driver who sees these kids every single day — sometimes for years?” Levine said.
The training gives drivers real-world scenarios and teaches them how to react — even in the face of an active shooter.
“We’re taught how to look in the mirror, assess the situation, and react,” said Amanda Feckner, a 20-year veteran with Cloverleaf Schools.
From evasive driving techniques to disabling a threat using sudden braking, the course focuses on immediate actions drivers can take to protect students until police arrive.
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“We all think, ‘It’s never going to happen to me,’” Feckner said. “But what happens when it does?”
START’s training is already being used by at least 75 school districts across Northeast Ohio, according to the organization. Find out more right here.
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