Diboll Primary practices evacuation
Youngsters trained for possible bus disaster
By MARCELA HERNDON Staff writer

Free Press photo by Marcella Herndon LEARN TO EVACUATE-Diboll Primary Elementary School students practice evacuation drills as part of a state mandated safety program. Diboll Primary trains students from pre-K to first grade on bus safety. Pictured from left, teacher, Malena Henderson, assists student Lenai Battise, with the help of Daniel Zarzoza, perform a rear evacuation.

Students at Diboll Primary Elementary School were thrilled at the chance to leave the classroom to practice bus evacuation drills on Thursday, December 6, 2007.

Supervised by Laurie Burton, associate principal, primary students were shown a 30-minute video last week on bus and evacuation safety as part of a mandated hour-long training session.

On Thursday, students got to put their textbook training into hands-on experience as classes lined the walkways patiently waiting on their turn.

The twice-a-year school bus evacuation instruction that was approved by the Texas Legislature in May became mandatory after transportation experts deemed the training necessary in order to keep Texas children safer. According to Daniel Zarzoza, Transportation Director, "The children are instructed by the driver on how to evacuate from the roof in case of turnovers. They also learn how to evacuate from windows, front and back doors. Every child must go through the training program."

The Texas Department of Public Safety estimates that over 38,000 school buses transport 1.5 million children in the state but account for only one-half of one percent of motor vehicle accidents on Texas roads.