First Student Highlights Safety, Technology and Innovation During National School Bus Safety Week

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Oct 21, 2024, 09:53 ET

CINCINNATI, Oct. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- First Student, the trusted school transportation provider to millions of families, is marking National School Bus Safety Week by promoting the importance of safe, reliable rides to and from school. The company is proud to showcase its innovations, programs and technological advances in student transportation, delivering on the National Association for Pupil Transportation's theme this year of "Driving Safely Into the Future."

First Student is leading the school transportation industry in safety, in part, by advancing school bus electrification. The company has more than 360 electric school buses deployed in communities across North America. Electric school buses are safer, quieter, and healthier for students and communities. First Student has committed to transitioning 30,000 diesel vehicles to electric by 2035.

First Student also recently announced that its innovative First Charge electrification solution is now available to all school districts. The trenchless charging infrastructure solution enables more efficient deployment of electric vehicles, saving up to 50% in installation costs and making faster scaling of EV fleets possible. First Charge is currently servicing 21 school districts with 43 more districts coming online soon.

"First Student is deploying the student transportation system of the future today, and we are proud to continue to lead in electrification, driver training and student safety," said First Student CEO and President John Kenning. "By electrifying student transportation and making the process easier for school districts, we can provide safer rides to and from school and create healthier communities. This helps us deliver on our mission of providing the safest possible ride to school, so children arrive ready to learn and can reach their full potential."

In addition to making safe, electrified student transportation possible for school districts, First Student is also improving safety through a groundbreaking behavioral training program that has reduced incidents on buses by 27% in its first year. Developed in partnership with top child psychologists and leading authorities on child behavior and special education, FirstServes equips drivers with behavior mitigation and de-escalation skills to prevent or resolve incidents that take place on the bus. The program helps ensure a positive bus-riding experience for all students, including those with intellectual, physical, or emotional disabilities.

First Student will also celebrate National School Bus Safety Week through its Safety Dog Bus Tour, which uses fun and interactive activities to teach bus riding basics to elementary school students. The Tour will visit Waterloo, Iowa, on Thursday, October 24. Students will receive a safety demonstration on the school bus, sign a safety pledge, and take a photo with Safety Dog, the company's mascot.

About First Student
As North America's leading school transportation solutions provider, First Student strives to provide unmatched care and the safest ride to school to 5.5 million students every day. With a team of highly trained drivers, the company will complete 1 billion student trips during the 2024-25 school year. First Student delivers reliable, quality services, including full-service transportation and management, special-needs transportation, fleet electrification, route optimization, scheduling, maintenance, and charter services with a fleet of about 45,000 buses. For more information, visit firststudentinc.com.

CONTACT
Jen Biddinger
513-362-4600

SOURCE First Student