Climbing out of windows and through the roof of a bus is not a typical experience for Archer students. However, due to California Highway Patrol’s new requirement, Archer students participated in bus evacuation drills for the first time. The drills took place on two separate dates due to the number of buses on campus. The first five buses conducted their drill Friday, Feb. 17, and the other five followed Friday, March 24.

According to Director of Transportation Yoshi Wilson, who is part of the Archer safety committee, if the school didn’t partake in the drill, Archer and the bus company would be fined. This drill is now going to be an annual occurrence, and the safety committee hopes to schedule the drill during orientation in the upcoming years. 

According to Wilson, after the school was informed of this new protocol, they immediately set up plans to make the drill happen. Because this was a new experience, they faced the challenge of timeliness, as they had to have the drill happen during the school year.

“Once I found out [about the new protocol], I came back and told the safety committee, and we agreed on the date that would work for the bus company, as well as students where it’s not interfering with any educational classes,” Wilson said. “I think it should for the most part … make [the students] feel safe … That’s the whole purpose of the drill.” 

In order to prepare for this drill, each of the bus drivers had to be trained. Wilson said two of the current drivers at Archer were also certified to train other drivers, which was very helpful for this process. As a part of the drill, each driver had to make a short speech informing students what to do in case of an emergency. 

During the drill, students were required to leave all belongings on the bus and evacuate through emergency exits. The driver opened the emergency exit to guide students out. Prior to the drill, the drivers selected two students to stand outside the exit and help peers down from the bus. Once everybody had evacuated the vehicle, students were directed to line up on the front lawn and wait until the drill was over. Once the drill was complete, students were instructed to board the bus again.

Seventh grader Izzy Escalante said she was comforted after the drill and felt a newfound trust with her bus driver.

“I also trust our bus driver a bit more now,” Escalante said. “I know that she’ll know what to do, and she’ll stay calm.”

According to the requirement, the main purpose to the drill is provide safety in an emergency. The drill taught students how to bring the vehicle to a stop and escape the bus if they needed to in a dire situation. An example of an emergency if the driver is unable to control the vehicle if they faint.

Ninth grader Julia Ong felt that her bus driver handled the drill very smoothly, which made her feel reassured to know that in the event of an emergency, she would be safe.

“Our driver is very good at helping in these times of distress, especially when she would stand at the door and guide students out if they needed assistance, which was very helpful,” Ong said. “I do feel safer … I think that the fact that safety is being addressed and talked about makes safety a more important commitment to the students from Archer.”