Decisions must be made!

2010-2011 NYSED Refresher

It’s not just Defensive Driving!

Decisions can mean…

• Life or death• Liability creation or

relief• Job retention or loss• Hero or goat• And can be

instantaneous, immediate, or ongoing

Today’s Goal

• Identify different decision types

• Review decision-making resources and procedures

• Understand our duty to protect

• Develop Active Awareness• Begin to consciously practice

decision-making

Definitions

• Instantaneous – unforeseeable traffic situation, physical attack, drastic vehicle loss of control

• Immediate – fight on bus, smoke, crash, negative activity outside bus, mechanical problem, construction

• Ongoing – unsafe student behavior, problems w/other employee, stop placement, school bus zone, parent

Decision-Making Resources

• Laws/regulations• District/company policies• District/company procedures• Training• Response protocols• Observation /Planning• Practice!

“Judgment Calls”• Doing and not doing are both

conscious acts (c/omission)• Get help making decisions• Balance consequences, rules,

duty, training, experience, sensory input, emotion, upbringing, and gut instincts

• Don’t talk self into breaking rules unnecessarily: 55 mph, Bus stop location, getting off bus

Softened landing

• “Reasonable person” standard

• Good Samaritan Act

• Following policy and procedures

Forseeability – Could be fore-known

• That was an accident waiting to ______! • I knew that kid was going to run back to

the bus someday!• That kid is never on her side of the

street!• Those kids threw rocks at the bus three

days last week!• I didn’t think the water was that deep! • Is there reason to know harm is likely?• Can we make it better?

Success ExampleBy Own Bus Student Fatalities – Big 3

Response Strategies• Instantaneous –

immediate response based on accumulated resources and practice

• Immediate – Response protocol

• Ongoing – Report, plan and implement

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What is your duty to protect?• Yourself• School district/company• Individual student• All students• General public• Things

What is your duty to protect?• Yourself• School district/company• Individual student• All students• General public• Things

Your response has to balance and prioritize all of these

What is your duty to protect?• Yourself• School district/company• Individual student• All students• General public• Things

Could the best response be

different depending on

unique factors?

What is your duty to protect?• Yourself• School district/company• Individual student• All students• General public• Things

Your age, weather, physical strength, emotional state,

knowledge of community, knowing the children

What if?

• Problem outside/inside your bus?• Involves/doesn’t a passenger?• Weapon/bomb/none?• Familiar/not with persons/neighborhood?• Full bus/almost empty/empty bus?• Special needs passengers in/out?• Warm spring day/frigid cold winter day?• Swerve to avoid box, dog, person? • No easy answers!

Response Protocol Policy

• Safe place for bus (if possible)• Children protected (if possible)• Radio (cell) dispatch – Bus number– Location – Code or generic description– Hold mike open if needed

• Seek assistance if needed (police, passer-bys, school sites, bus yards)

Key Concerns

Highest standard for protecting student passengers

Know your passengers special needsBe on route and on time (or call in)Maintain contact with dispatchAdanbon good (or bad!) faith bad

decisions immediately

Active Awareness

• Avoid “Inattentional blindness”

• It’s always the same – It’s never the same

• Err on over-reporting• Clues and signals• Unusual vehicles,

persons, objects

“What if” Decision-Making

• Play out non-incidents in your mind

• What if that fight had escalated?

• What if that car hadn’t stopped?

• What if the child had walked back to the bus?

• TRAIN YOUR BRAIN!

What if?

Follow-up Documentation

• If you don’t write it down it didn’t happen

• Protect yourself and your operation

• Date, time, location• Participants • What happened?

Decisions – Good and Bad

• Did the driver/attendant act “reasonably”

• Were they “actively aware”?

• Did they use the resources available?

• Was duty to all balanced?

• What if?

Just to review…

• Identify different decision types

• Review decision-making resources and procedures

• Understand our duty to protect

• Develop Active Awareness• Begin to consciously practice

decision-making