Minnesota celebrates school bus drivers going the extra mile
Governor Tim Walz declared this week as School Bus Driver Appreciation Week to recognize drivers who are exceeding expectations in the pandemic. Author: Kiya Edwards Updated: 7:38 AM CST February 24, 2021
ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. Safety has always been priority for school bus driver Brian Ruhl, who took on the part-time job after retiring from another. There s actually about 170 different items that you really have to check on in the bus and in the motor compartment, he said.
During the pandemic, the responsibilities have only increased. It s a matter of making sure that those children as they board the bus have a face mask on, that the spatial distance between each child is correct, Ruhl said. For instance, unless you are a sibling, you re not allowed to sit with two kids in the same seat.
GORHAM â The Gorham Fire Department will receive a $29,866 grant to buy lifesaving extrication equipment, often called the âJaws of Life,â from the nonprofit Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation.
Fire Chief Phil Cloutier, who wrote the application, learned it is one of only 96 grants awarded in this latest nationwide funding round.
The equipment is designed to safely and efficiently remove drivers and passengers trapped in motor vehicles at serious accident sites, fulfilling a critical need within the department.
When town manager Denise Vallee announced the award at the Jan. 11 selectmenâs meeting, chairman Mike Waddell, and selectmen Judy LeBlanc and Adam White thanked the chief for his ongoing fundraising successes. In 2020, GPD was awarded both a $134,600 FEMA grant to buy multiple self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), also known as air packs, and a $10,000 grant for firefightersâ turnout gear from a community foundation supported by TC Energy,