The event takes place all day starting shortly after 8 a.m. until about 6 p.m.
Residents of the area should not be alarmed when they see several police, fire and ambulance vehicles in the parking lot in and near the high school during the day. This is only a simulation training exercise.
During the day-long training that takes place both inside the high school and outside in the south parking lot area, drivers will learn about how to handle several situations they may encounter during their role as a bus driver. Bus drivers from all over Barry and parts of Kent County are expected to take part in this unique and extensive training.
Emergency employees from the Barry County Sheriff's Department and the Michigan State Police, several fire departments and EMT's including members from Thornapple Township, Wayland, Hastings, Caledonia, and Freeport, will all be involved in the program.
The training will cover the following topics:
- Bus inspection and the importance of pre-trip bus examinations
- Managing student behaviors on the bus
- Transporting during disasters
- Drug and weapon discussions
- Exiting a smoke-filled bus
- Fire extinguisher training
- Everyday hazards for school bus drivers
- An extrication demonstration
- A bus burning demonstration