Satisfied With Safety
In questioning our customers, 98% describe themselves as 'satisfied' with our services.

We combine years of pupil transportation experience plus leading safety and bus fleet technology which help us achieve superior operational efficiencies. First Student has invested millions in developing technological advances to improve student transportation safety so you don’t have to. Further, your school district realizes substantial student transportation cost savings – no matter how large your fleet – by leveraging the purchasing power of the nations largest school bus carrier.

Student transportation is our only business. We offer a hassle-free way to relieve you of such challenges as recruiting, training, scheduling, route planning, safety, environmental, and routine and unplanned maintenance. You can also take advantage of the ability to upgrade or replace an aging fleet with new buses with no capital investment, resulting in immediate impact on your bottom line.

Every school district is different so we customize a transportation solution to meet your system needs.

At First Student, safety is our core value, and we put it FIRST in everything we do. Millions of dollars have been invested in the installation of fleet safety equipment, but we believe the most important safety system on the bus is the driver. Therefore, we invest heavily in driver training to exceed all industry standards in the hiring, training, and ongoing development of school bus drivers and attendants.

Some of our requirements include:

• Pre-employment and ongoing random drug and alcohol testing for all employees
• Stringent background and record checks
• Physical performance and dexterity testing
• Driver Management Online (DMO) to monitor driver qualifications
• Security event and procedure training
• The Smith System Advanced Driver Training with ongoing “refreshers” throughout the year, resulting in 25% reduction in preventable collisions

First Student spends millions to implement the latest safety technology to effectively transport millions of children throughout North America, including:

• Zonar™ – Our Electronic Vehicle Inspection Report (EVIR) ensures that daily safety inspections are completed and tracked
• GPS – Our system tracks and records vehicle location, speed and direction of any bus at any time
• Child Checkmate™ System – Our electronic system ensures that no child is left on a bus unattended
• Theftmate™ Vehicle Intrusion Alarm System – an infrared security and safety system that activates audible and visible alarms in the event of an intruder
• Student and Driver Tracking – Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology that monitors student bus entry and exit
• VMS – a proprietary web-based predictive maintenance (PM) system that tracks PM inspection and repair of deficiencies

FirstGroup, the parent company of First Student, is honored to be selected by The National Safety Council (NSC) as the recipient of the 2009 Green Cross for Safety Medal, the highest award for safety in North America.

This award is presented annually by The National Safety Council to an organization that has distinguished itself over a period of years for outstanding achievements in workplace and off-the-job safety and health, community service, environmental stewardship, and responsible citizenship.

Please contact us to learn how First Student can help you.

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