“ Ensuring Driver Compliance-- Avoiding the Spotlight in the Local News”

1. “Ensuring Driver Compliance-- Avoiding the Spotlight in the Local News” 2009 FAPT Summer Conference Presenters: Ms. Cherrie Beardsley, Region DMO Administrator, First Student (Duval) Mr. Ronnie H. McCallister, Asst. State Director, School Transportation Management Section, FL DOE

2. Topics • Billboards of the Community • Control or Influence • Our Focus in the School Transportation Industry • Timeline for Hiring Documents • Compliance and Maintenance • The Purpose of Auditing • Practical Ways to Prepare for an Audit • Changes in the Florida State Auditing Process

3. School Bus Operators Are Billboards For Their Communities • Every Action Taken Behind the Wheel is Scrutinized by Other Motorist, Parents Concerned Citizens as well as the Passengers Themselves. • Operator Interaction with Parents, and the Children they transport is Paramount to the opinion the Community has regarding the Professionalism of the School District.

4. Real-Time News Breaking Local Stories • State Audit: Disqualified 6 bus drivers in Vine County with expired fingerprints. 2. School bus driver was found at fault for accident. 3. Audit Finds Inadequate Record Keeping by Employers.

5. Real-Time News Breaking Local Stories 4. School Bus burst into flames at St. Louis High School. 5. School bus driver was found driving with an expired physical. 6. School Bus found parked at Sex Show.

6. Control or Influence School Bus burst into flames at St. Louis High School . School bus driver was found driving with an expired physical. Audit Finds Inadequate Record Keeping by Employers. School bus driver was found at fault for accident. School Bus found parked at Sex Show. • State Audit: Disqualified 6 bus drivers in Vine County with expired fingerprints. • 2. School Bus burst into flames at St. Louis • High School. • 4. School bus driver was found at fault for • accident. • 6. School Bus found parked at Sex Show. • 1. State Audit: Disqualified 6 bus drivers • in Vine County with expired fingerprints. • 3. Audit Finds Inadequate Record Keeping • by Employers. • 5. School bus driver was found • driving with an expired physical. Control Influence

7. Control or Influence • You can’t control people’s actions only influence them to do the right thing. • However, employees files out of compliance is in our control and can be avoided.

8. What should be our Focus in the School Transportation Industry? “The Safety of the Children that we Transport.” • The school transportation industry is a busy business. Staff members may need to wear many hats to get the job done. • We must be watchful not to lose sight that we are not transporting items but human beings that are irreplaceable.

9. Our FocusSee their Faces behind your Work School Bus Related Fatalities

10. The Purpose of the Auditing Program The Department of Education criterion are designed to measure safety & efficiencyof public school student transportation programs. It is important that you have a thorough understanding of the requirements.

11. Do you know….. • The laws, rules, and regulations that are required by State and Federal agencies. “Ignorance of the law is no defense” It’s your responsibility to be educated.

12. Accountability • "Accountability breeds response-ability."

13. ”Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not.” DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME!

14. Timeline for Hiring Documents • As you know, certain documents in the processing of a driver have timelines. You have no opportunity to go back and change the date when you order backgrounds, drug results, physicals, or the date when you ran the first MVR. That means you have only one opportunity to do it right. • When the file is audited it will show the steps the location took to process that employee, and those steps are set in concrete.    

15. Compliance and Maintenance • Be organized; use a check-off sheet that covers all requirements for new hires. • Assure all delegated persons are aware of the importance of their responsibilities. • Create a tracking method for all expiring documents.

16. Tracking Method

17. Ways to Prepare • Self Audit • Have your information ORGANIZED • If you find an error fix it as soon as possible • Ask for help (co-workers, Supervisor, other counties, DOE, etc.)

18. Qualifications Evaluation Worksheet A. Operator Name B. Status (Regular, Sub, Other, Contracted) C. Date of Original Employment (as operator) a. Date of Reemployment (as operator) after a one year or greater break in service (if applicable)

19. Original 40 Hours and Certificate D. Hours of Pre-service Training – if hired after 7/31/86 Note: If hired before 7/31/86 place a N/A in the box.

20. Original 40 Hours and Certificate 20 classroom + 8 hours BTW + 12 hours school bus related • School bus related • Trainer • Subjects covered • Length of training • Sign-in Sheets

21. What is wrong with these Documents? Only 18 Hours

23. Current Eight Hours Training E. Annual Eight Hours In-service Training – record the date it was completed. • Annual 8 Hours • Must be current • School bus related • Trainer • Subjects covered • Length of training • Sign-in Sheets

24. Needs 2 more hours

25. Physical F. Expiration date of Medical Examiner Certificate (ESE 479) • The big questions: Is the physical completely filled out, dated and signed by the physician? Is it current? Does it pass all requirements?

29. Dexterity G.Expiration date of Most Current Dexterity Test (ESE 479)

30. CDL Expiration Date H. Current CDL License Expiration Date (with passenger and school bus endorsement)

31. Motor Vehicle Record I. 2007-08 DHSMV Driving History Check – record the date it was performed (school start-up check) • Must be done prior to employment, • There after, weekly • Watch expiration dates and suspensions….Don’t let them get you….

32. MVR J. DHSMV – Verification of weekly updates

33. Fingerprints K. Date of most recent Fingerprint Based Criminal History Check. Date of recheck for break in service in excess of 90 days (if applicable)

34. Drug and Alcohol Pool L. Verification that operator is included in an approved random OTETA drug and alcohol testing pool for safety sensitive positions

35. Ms. Cherrie Beardsley, 904-334-2669 Cherrie.beardsley@firstgroup.com Ms. Susan Melcolm, 904-225-0127 Susan.melcolm@.Nassau.k12.fl.us