|  | Specific Areas of Driver Training
245. Training - Use of Sharps Kit and Handling of Sharps
All school bus drivers employed on District service must be trained in the use of the sharps kit for disposal of hypodermic needles, knives, or other small sharp objects issued to the contractors under Section III-D-131 of these Specifications.
246. Training - Blood Borne Pathogens and Use of Body Fluid Cleanup Kits.
Body fluids and blood borne pathogens present a danger to both the school bus driver and the transported students. All human blood and body fluids shall be treated as though infected with blood borne pathogens. Each school bus contractor must comply with the requirements of Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration Standard 29 CFR 1910.1030 Occupational Exposure to Blood Borne Pathogens and Minnesota Labor and Industry OSHA Division Rule 5205.0010 dealing with infectious blood borne pathogens.
All school bus drivers employed on District service must be trained in the use of the Body Fluid Cleanup Kits required under Section III-D-129 of these Specifications, and in the universal precautions in treating all human blood and body fluids as infectious material. The District will assist contractors in compliance with this requirement upon request.
Each contractor shall also develop general rules and procedures pertaining to the handling of items contaminated with body fluids and the cleaning and decontamination of equipment and surfaces which have had contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials. Drivers shall be trained in these rules and procedures. Training shall emphasize the need to keep students away from exposed materials and surfaces until they have been properly contained or disinfected.
247. Training in Handicapping Conditions
The contractor is required to train all drivers transporting special education students in the characteristics and needs of the specific handicapping conditions of the special education students transported, the proper response to potential emergency situations caused by or related to these conditions, and the proper response to behavior patterns associated with these conditions.
The contractor must be prepared to train drivers of specific routes to deal effectively with the following conditions:
Autism Muscular Dystrophy
Blindness Orthopedic Impairment
Cerebral Palsy Other Health Impairment
Deafness Serious Emotional Disturbances
Deaf-blindness Speech or Language Impairment
Emotional Behavioral Disorder Spina Bifida and Spinal Cord Injuries
Hearing Impairment Traumatic Brain Injury
Mental Retardation Visual Impairment
The District will assist contractors in the development and presentation of training programs as necessary when requested by the contractor.
248. Training in Operation of Lift Equipment and Wheelchair Securement
Systems All drivers of lift buses for physically handicapped students shall receive detailed instruction in both the use of the lift equipment and in the proper use of the wheelchair securement system. This must include instruction and experience in the operation of the lift and ramp in the manual mode in the event of an electrical or control unit failure. All instruction must be based upon the wheelchair lift or securement system manufacturer’s recommended operating procedures. Under no circumstances shall a contractor train a driver in a procedure that is contrary to the manufacturer’s recommended operating procedure.
In operating the wheelchair lift the driver shall:
1. Shall secure the lift door in the open position prior to operation of the lift.
2. Shall check that the student’s wheelchair safety belt is fastened prior to placing the student on the wheelchair lift platform. If the wheelchair is not equipped with a safety belt, the driver shall secure the student with a temporary safety belt prior to operating the wheelchair lift.
3. Shall assure that the wheelchair brakes are securely set prior to operating the lift.
4. Shall check that the safety lip or barrier on the lift platform is up when the lift is in any position off of ground level.
5. Shall check that students hands, backpacks, or clothing do not come near any moving component of the wheelchair lift.
6. Shall keep his/her hand securely on the wheelchair at all times while the student’s wheelchair is on the lift.
7. Shall at all times operate the lift in strict compliance with the lift manufacturer’s recommended safety procedures.
249. Training in Recognition and Handling of Epileptic Seizures
Each driver assigned to a regular or special education route under this contract must receive in-service training in the recognition and proper handling of incidents of epileptic seizures. Training will be provided without charge by the School District upon the request of the contractor. Drivers holding current Standard or Advanced First Aide/CPR certification from the American National Red Cross will be exempted from this requirement provided that the District provided the First Aid/CPR training or has a copy of the current certification card on file with the Transportation Safety Office.
250. Training in Handling of Bee and Yellow Jacket Stings, Allergic Reactions, and Asthma Attacks
All drivers operating under this contract shall be trained in the proper first responder procedures for dealing with bee and yellow jacket stings, allergic reactions, and asthma attacks. As outlined in section III-G-299 , the driver must immediately request emergency medical assistance in the event of a serious medical emergency, including severe allergic reactions (including bee stings) and asthma attacks.
251. Training in Function and Purpose of Traffic Priority Control Systems
Each contractor shall provide training to all drivers operating under this contract in the purpose and function of the 3M Opticom™ traffic control system, which is an emergency vehicle preemption system installed on all traffic signals by the City of Saint Paul. This training shall include the proper action for the driver to take when the Opticom™ system is activated by an emergency vehicle on a cross street.
252. Pre-service and In-service Policy and Procedure and Student Management Orientation Sessions
Each driver of a school bus providing route, field trip, or athletic trip service under this contract must attend, or have attended within the previous three years, a pre-service or in-service orientation session conducted by the School District pertaining to the transportation policies and procedures of the Saint Paul Public Schools and to effective Student Management. These sessions will be offered on weekdays, weeknights, and Saturdays during the school year. Attendance of all drivers at these sessions is a mandatory condition of the transportation contract.
256. Standard First Aid and CPR Certification
All drivers assigned to special education routes under this contract must be certified in American Red Cross Standard First Aid and CPR. Certification must be obtained within one month of assignment to the special education route.
The District Transportation Department will offer American Red Cross Certified Standard First Aid and CPR training to school bus drivers assigned to special education routes under this contract. This instruction will be offered without charge to the special education drivers and to the emergency standby drivers as defined under Section I-A, III-G-280 and III-G-290 of these Specifications.
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The First Aid courses will be open to all District special education route drivers, and to an additional number of spare drivers equal to ten percent (10%) of the total special education drivers.
First Aid/CPR training sessions will be offered on weekdays, weeknights, and Saturdays during August and September 2003, and shall be offered periodically on weeknights and week ends during the school year. Compliance of all special education drivers with this requirement is a mandatory condition of the transportation contract.
Failure of a registered driver to attend a class without an approved absence from the Transportation Safety Coordinator may result in the penalties outlined in section III-G-240 and III-G-253 of these Specifications and will result in the driver being precluded from another session until he/she has spoken with the District staff person coordinating the class. Any driver with current American Red Cross CPR/First Aid certification must supply the Transportation Safety Coordinator with a copy of the certification card.
259. Knowledge of Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines
Each successful bidder is responsible for ensuring that all drivers operating under this contract are familiar with all applicable Saint Paul Public Schools policies, procedures, and guidelines pertaining to the operation of routes, athletic trips, and field trips. These policies, procedures, and guidelines are contained in the Saint Paul Public Schools School Bus Drivers Handbook, and in these Specifications.
The school bus driver's responsibilities include, but are not limited to, knowledge of the policies and procedures pertaining to route stops, route changes, prohibited actions, unauthorized riders, unauthorized route stops and unauthorized changes, the reporting of student discipline problems, proper use of the eight light system, emergency evacuation procedures, and possession of weapons. Special education drivers must have knowledge of the policies and procedures dealing with special education transportation procedures and, where applicable, use of wheelchair lifts and restraint equipment.
In the event that a driver violates a policy or procedure covered by the handbook, the District shall assume that the driver was familiar with the policy or procedure by virtue of the contents of the Driver's Handbook.
260. Knowledge of District Policies on Sexual Harassment and Racial Bias
Each transported student has the right to travel to and from school on a school bus that is free from racial or sexual harassment. Each contractor is responsible for ensuring that all drivers performing District service are familiar with the Saint Paul Public Schools’ Board Policy on sexual harassment and racial bias incidents and are aware that it is the responsibility of each school bus driver to report any incidents of inappropriate sexual activity, sexual harassment, racial bias, or racially motivated behavior which he/she observes, or which are reported to him/her by a student or parent, to the principal in writing on the Incident Report Form. This includes inappropriate racial or sexual comments made by a student to the driver.
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