Dangers of Heat on School Buses, an overview

2007-08-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

My name is Skot David Wilson, and I live in Jacksonville, Florida, where the heat index can rise to dangerous levels. I think that transporting kids in excessive heat can harm them, as well as their drivers, and the time has come and passed for school districts across America who live where the heat is bad to require that every new bus coming into service come equipped with air conditioning. I believe that their failure to do anything to insure that future buses have climate control violates laws against child abuse and endangerment. Some districts don't even allow kids to have drinks on the bus when it's hot.
Here are the basic facts:
1. Heat Indexes can, and often do rise to the 130's, 140's 150's, and many school districts have no requirement that new or replacement buses for their fleets come equipped with air conditioning.
2. There are few provisions to insure kids stay hydrated or have water available on the bus when these heat events occur.
3. The price of a new bus without a/c averages about $65,000, and with a/c about $73,000. There is a high benefit to ordering buses with air conditioning when they are new, as it costs more to retrofit.
4. Air conditioned environments reduce incidents of violence and student discipline, which reduces the expense and class disruption of dealing with those incidents.
5. With a/c, there is better driver retention and less driver distraction and danger, from medical conditions or violence risk or fatigue.
6. State laws against child abuse and endangerment require minimizing exposure to danger, and many districts fail to take any action to keep children safe from heat at the end of the school day. They do not need to have criminal intent, but often just to be negligent in correcting the problem.
7. School districts need to find funds for these changes, and legislators need to assist in funding or providing relief for making pupil transportation safe by requiring a/c.
8.With having water available for students on buses without a/c when it is hot, and mandating requiring all new school buses coming into service be required to have air conditioning, the cost of making this transition over time, making it affordable.

I have already produced documents, proposals and links to information. I will place links to them here to save time.

If you feel that it is insane and/or illegal to subject children and their bus drivers to the insane heat that they must endure, then you must act, even if you just make a few phone calls.

The livejournal location written before this is http://busheat.livejournal.com/
The livejournal site with links to information is http://busheatinfo.livejournal.com/522.html
And the livejournal comments section http://community.livejournal.com/kidvocates/425.html
will record your thoughts and opinions.

I have produced three proposal/reports
The first one deals with issues directly associated with air conditioning on buses.
The second one deals with adoption Severe Weather Emergency Plans, with modifications and standards specific to excessive heat exposure on school buses.
The third compiles information from The National Weather Service and Florida Statutes against Child Abuse, Chapter 827 of the criminal code, and shows clearly that there is a factual, recorded danger to children and that it is a criminal act to avoid doing anything about it, and becomes a willful act of endangerment over time.

This is the link to find them:
http://busheatdocument.livejournal.com/

HOW DO WE PAY FOR AIR CONDITIONING? Simple, check out this link: http://www.pvbusads.com/We could sell advertising space on buses, with all funds dedicated for air conditioning on buses, and we could also have a "Kool the Kids" scratch-off lottery ticket, with all net proceeds set aside for a/c on the bus, and anything left over could pay for swing gates, which are proven to save lives, too.

Visit my other sites:

http://SaveStationFive.blogspot.com to rescue and create a fire fighter museum/park that teaches history & fire safety education

http://ThreeSecondsRed.blogspot.com to get longer "all red" at intersections so red light runners and traffic can clear intersections to reduce accidents

http://WhiteRoofAmerica.blogspot.com to promote white roofs to reflect solar heat back into space to reduce global warming by energy conservation and less heat absorption by the earth

The links listed below show proof of the problem, and how it is a global problem

School Bus Excessive Heat Danger

Dangers of Heat on School Buses, an overview