by Loren Korn
BELL COUNTY - It's not just security cameras local school districts rely on, it is their faith in school bus drivers trained by a special program. The same team that trains anti-terrorism tactics is showing schools how to deal with criminal and suspicious activity.
Bubba Lowe is a First Observer trained bus driver for Belton ISD and checks the school bus for anything suspicious daily.
"It's a program that helps you be aware of your surroundings. You can identify things that are suspicious and out of place or just don't look right to you," said Larry Taylor, Supervisor and Trainer for Belton ISD.
Walter Prothro, Director of Transportation for Temple ISD, also believes it's a must that their drivers are trained by First Observer.
"We're right next to Fort Hood. The largest free world military installation that exists. What better place to make a little noise than schools that service the children of those soldiers?"
Prothro said they'll be ready if a bus driver found something out of the ordinary.
"We'll tell them to remain at a safe distance and we'll call the police. That's when police will come check it out and they usually do very quickly," said Prothro.
But it's not just checking for suspicious items or activity on the school bus, these drivers are also trained in what's called child guard policy.
"You never know when someone's going to pick up a child for some reason that they don't need to be picking that child up. So we want someone there who we know is supposed to pick that child up," said Taylor.
Both districts said this program's intense training and annual refresher course gives their drivers specifics on how to prevent or handle dangerous situations to the best of their ability.
"Does it make you totally safe from things like that? No, it doesn't, but it certainly gives you a heads up on things," said Prothro.
News Channel 25 called Killeen ISD who said they use First Observer. Waco ISD and Midway ISD do not.
According to First Observer, close to 2,000 Texas school bus drivers and instructors were trained from March 2009 to December 2009.
