Five local school divisions join together to teach young riders about bus safety
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Coordinators from the transportation departments of Chinook’s Edge, Wolf Creek, Red Deer Public, Red Deer Catholic and Wild Rose school divisions, along with Prairie Bus Lines, are rolling out the annual First Rider bus safety event beginning this week.
Officials with Chinook’s Edge School Division say the First Rider program targets students in Kindergarten and Grade one, along with any other students who will be riding a school bus for the first time. The 45 minute program is free of charge and involves four activity stations where participants become familiar and comfortable with protocols, procedures and expectations that will make their busing experience successful. As well, each participant will receive a goodie bag.
Participants start by watching a video of Winnie-the-Pooh as he rides a school bus for the first time. They will then learn about safety priorities at the bus stop, conduct a safety evacuation and discover the ‘danger zone’ around the bus where incidents are most likely to occur.
Finally, they hop on a school bus with their parents or guardian for a 10 minute ride to learn about loading and exiting the bus correctly. Officials say the First Rider program has been popular and successful each year since it began in 2009, giving young people a better understanding of safety just in time for school start-up.
