REPUBLIC, Mo. -- After two bus accidents in less than a week in the Ozarks, some training here by firefighters on Thursday was all that more timely. What they learned at the school bus rescue class could help save young lives.
“We train all the time to cut up cars, trucks, and vans. We don't get very many buses,” said Republic Fire Chief Duane Compton. “Buses are tough. They are tough to cut up and get open. They are a lot tougher than what you would think.”
Firefighters from the Republic area are spending this week preparing for things that might happen but rarely do.
“You look at the number of trips they make in the buses and the number of students that they haul, the miles they put on these buses, they have very little, if any, accidents. But there is always that one time when a driver is not paying attention, they are texting or talking on their phone, and they may plow into the side of a bus and the students might be trapped. This is that one time they are training for,” said Compton.
