CDL School Bus Endorsement — All Questions

The most important consideration in deciding whether to evacuate the bus is:

• a.Whether the radio is working
• b.Whether staying on the bus or leaving it is safer for the students✓
• c.How close you are to the school
• d.How many students are aboard

The key question in any emergency is whether the students are safer remaining on the bus or evacuating it. In many situations, staying seated on the bus is the safest choice. Evacuation itself carries risk, so it should be chosen only when remaining aboard is more dangerous.

You should evacuate the bus immediately if:

• a.The bus is a few minutes behind schedule
• b.There is a fire or danger of fire, or the bus is in an unsafe position such as on the tracks✓
• c.The heater is not working
• d.A student is talking loudly

Immediate evacuation is required when there is fire or risk of fire, the smell of raw or leaking fuel, the bus is stopped over or near a railroad track, its position may shift and increase danger, or there is a risk of collision. In these cases staying aboard is more dangerous than leaving. In many other situations it is safer to remain on the bus.

In general, if there is no immediate danger, students are usually safest:

• a.Walking down the road for help
• b.Standing outside next to the bus
• c.Remaining on the bus, seated and calm✓
• d.Sitting in the roadway

When there is no fire, hazardous position, or other immediate threat, students are generally safest staying on the bus, which offers protection and keeps them out of traffic. Unnecessary evacuation into a roadway can be more dangerous than the original problem. The driver assesses each situation before ordering an evacuation.

Before evacuating, if time and safety permit, the driver should:

• a.Rearrange the seats
• b.Secure the bus by setting the parking brake, shutting off the engine, and taking the emergency equipment and student roster✓
• c.Restart the engine
• d.Refuel the bus

If circumstances allow, the driver secures the bus by setting the parking brake, turning off the ignition, removing the key, and activating hazard lights, then takes the first-aid kit, fire extinguisher if needed, and student roster. This prevents the bus from moving and helps account for all students. In a sudden fire, however, speed of exit takes priority.

Two mandatory evacuation situations are:

• a.A flat tire and a dead battery
• b.Fire or risk of fire, and the bus stalled on railroad tracks✓
• c.Rain and heavy traffic
• d.A late schedule and a cold cabin

Mandatory evacuations include any fire or danger of fire and any time the bus is stalled on or near railroad tracks. Other mandatory cases are the position of the bus creating a hazard, or the danger of collision. In these the risk of staying aboard clearly outweighs the risk of leaving.

When evacuating, the driver should direct students to a safe location:

• a.Underneath a nearby overpass
• b.Directly behind the rear bumper
• c.Into the nearest ditch regardless of water
• d.At least 100 feet off the road in the direction of oncoming traffic, away from danger✓

Students should be moved to a safe spot at least 100 feet off the road, generally in the direction of oncoming traffic and away from the hazard, and kept together. On railroad tracks they move well away from the tracks. Keeping the group together and clear of traffic prevents further injury.

Appointing student helpers before an emergency is useful because:

• a.Trained older students can help open exits and lead others to safety✓
• b.It replaces the need for the driver to act
• c.It lets the driver leave the scene
• d.It reduces fuel use

Assigning and training responsible older students to help operate emergency exits and lead classmates to the safe area speeds an orderly evacuation. The driver cannot be everywhere at once. Practiced helpers reduce panic and help account for younger children.

The rear emergency exit door should be used when:

• a.The front door is simply more crowded
• b.The front exit is blocked or the situation calls for it, and helpers assist students down✓
• c.You want to save time on a normal stop
• d.It is closer to the school

The rear emergency exit is used when the front service door is blocked or when the emergency dictates, with helpers positioned to assist students to the ground safely. Students should sit and slide or be helped down because the rear exit is high off the ground. Regular evacuation drills teach students to use it correctly.

After a crash, once the bus is stopped, the driver's first priorities include:

• a.Continuing the route to the next stop
• b.Filing the insurance claim
• c.Preventing further harm, protecting the scene, and checking for injuries✓
• d.Repositioning the bus for photos

After a crash the driver works to prevent further damage or injury, protects the area with warning devices, and checks students for injuries. Notifying emergency services and dispatch follows. Moving the bus or leaving the scene prematurely can worsen the situation.

Emergency warning devices (reflective triangles) should be placed after a breakdown or crash to:

• a.Signal that the route is finished
• b.Warn approaching traffic of the stopped bus and protect the scene✓
• c.Mark your lunch stop
• d.Indicate a fuel stop

Reflective triangles or other warning devices are set out to alert oncoming drivers to the stopped bus, reducing the chance of a secondary collision. They are placed at appropriate distances ahead of and behind the bus, and farther out on high-speed or curved roads. This protects both the students and responders.

If a student is injured and there is no immediate danger such as fire, you should generally:

• a.Not move a seriously injured student unless they are in danger, and wait for trained help✓
• b.Have them walk it off
• c.Move them immediately to the roadside
• d.Load them back onto the seat

Unless there is fire or another immediate threat, a seriously injured student should not be moved, because movement can worsen spinal or internal injuries. Keep them still, provide basic care, and wait for trained medical responders. Only imminent danger justifies moving an injured person.

During an actual fire evacuation, the driver should:

• a.Restart the engine to move the bus
• b.Count the money box first
• c.Wait for the fire department before opening doors
• d.Get students off the bus quickly and away from it, then keep them together at a safe distance✓

In a fire, the priority is rapid evacuation, getting every student off and well away from the burning bus, then keeping the group together at a safe distance. Securing paperwork or the bus is secondary to getting everyone out. The driver does a final check that no one remains aboard if it is safe to do so.

The purpose of regularly practicing evacuation drills with students is to:

• a.Ensure students know the exits and procedures so a real evacuation is orderly✓
• b.Reduce mirror adjustments
• c.Meet the fuel budget
• d.Test the brakes

Routine evacuation drills teach students where the exits are and how to leave the bus calmly and quickly, so a real emergency does not turn into panic. Practiced students respond faster and more safely. Drills also let the driver assign and rehearse student helper roles.

If the bus must be evacuated on a roadway, the safe assembly area should be chosen to:

• a.Be right under the bus for shade
• b.Block the opposite lane
• c.Be near the fuel tank
• d.Keep students together, off the road, and away from traffic and the hazard✓

The assembly point should keep all students grouped together, well off the roadway, and away from both traffic and whatever hazard caused the evacuation. Being at least 100 feet away is a common guideline. Keeping the group together makes it easy to account for everyone.

The driver should carry the student roster during an evacuation so that:

• a.It can be handed to the next driver
• b.It proves the route was completed
• c.Every student can be accounted for after leaving the bus✓
• d.It can be used as a fan

Taking the passenger roster or count during evacuation lets the driver confirm that every student who was aboard is present and safe at the assembly point. A missing name signals someone may still be near or on the bus. Accounting for all students is a critical post-evacuation step.

Special-needs students who cannot self-evacuate require:

• a.A pre-planned procedure and possibly assigned helpers or the driver to assist them✓
• b.The rear door only
• c.Evacuation only after all others have left, always
• d.No special planning

Students with mobility or other special needs need an evacuation plan prepared in advance, which may include securing devices, assigned aides or helpers, and specific lifting or carrying methods. The driver should know each student's needs before an emergency. Planning ensures they are not left behind.

If you smell fuel or see smoke but no flames yet, you should:

• a.Ignore it until flames appear
• b.Open the fuel cap to check
• c.Keep driving to the depot
• d.Treat it as a potential fire and prepare to evacuate immediately✓

The smell of raw fuel or presence of smoke signals a fire risk, which is a mandatory evacuation situation. Do not wait for visible flames; secure the bus if possible and get students off and away. Early evacuation can be the difference between a scare and a tragedy.

When helping students out the rear emergency door, they should be taught to:

• a.Sit on the edge and slide or step down with a helper's assistance✓
• b.Throw their backpacks first
• c.Jump out standing up
• d.Exit head-first

Because the rear emergency exit is high off the ground, students should sit on the door sill and slide or step down, ideally with a helper steadying them. Jumping or going head-first risks injury. Helpers stand outside to assist each student down and direct them to the safe area.

The overall rule for evacuation decisions can be summarized as:

• a.Never evacuate a school bus
• b.Evacuate only if the school approves by radio
• c.Always evacuate at the first sign of any problem
• d.Evacuate only when students are in more danger staying on the bus than leaving it✓

The guiding principle is to evacuate only when remaining on the bus poses greater danger to students than getting off, such as fire, unsafe position, or collision risk. In many roadside situations students are safer staying seated. The driver weighs the specific risks before ordering an evacuation.

After ensuring students are safe following a crash, the driver should:

• a.Leave to find a phone far away
• b.Send students home on their own
• c.Move the bus to clear traffic immediately
• d.Notify dispatch and emergency services and stay with the students✓

Once students are safe and accounted for, the driver contacts dispatch and emergency services, provides the location and situation, and remains with the students until help arrives. Staying with the group keeps them safe and accounted for. The scene should be protected with warning devices while waiting.