Students transported by Plum School District buses are now as safe as those who fly the friendly skies.

The district recently became the first busing district in the nation to complete a four-part training and evaluation cycle from the U.S. Transportation Security Administration.

“I’m really proud that we can make this happen,” district Transportation Director Scott Mergen said. “I’m really proud of my drivers. They didn’t take this lightly. We are dedicated to keeping children safe and secure every day on their way to and from school.”

Mergen said Plum has 55 drivers who transport approximately 4,000 students per day. That includes students within the district and those who attend parochial, charter and special-needs facilities.

TSA officials reached out to the district more than a year ago to start a security partnership.

The evaluations took place over the course of last year. They included:

A school transportation security plan assessment and executive summary highlighting strengths and options for consideration.

School bus driver training in security awareness and related topics as well as risk mitigation activities for surface transportation.

Pre- and mid-trip school bus inspection technique assessments to determine the effectiveness of vehicle inspection.

Discussion based on tabletop exercise workshops with crisis scenarios to test staff and administrators.

“They’re the first in the country school bus-wise to complete that cycle,” said Joe Larkin, lead transportation security inspector at TSA’s Pittsburgh branch. “They’ve been a great partner. We’re excited to work with them. That’s what (we) look to do — come in and assist agencies looking and evaluating their security posture and improving upon it. That’s a never-ending cycle.”

Mergen said bus drivers went through active shooter training and continue to do various exercises to stay sharp when it comes to student safety.

Most of the TSA training and evaluation programs were offered for years, but the workshops were added to the cycle about four months ago, Larkin said.

Bus drivers continue to do the exercises and reinforce what they’ve learned through the program, Mergen said.

School districts and other transportation entities that want to take advantage of the free training and evaluations can contact Larkin at 412-375-4048 or email joseph.larkin@dhs.gov for more information.

The program is being offered during the government shutdown.

Michael DiVittorio is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Michael at 412-871-2367, mdivittorio@tribweb.com or via Twitter @MikeJdiVittorio.

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