Anonymous
02/28/2026 09:12
Subject: School kids and emergency vehicles
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Just saw an odd situation where a firetruck was trying to pass a stopped schoolbus. The schoolkids weren't staying put so the firetruck could pass. Are schoolkids trained in what to do in that situation? My kids didn't ride the bus so I can't ask them
School buses always have priority - the priority is for the kids to get safely on the bus and not have any vehicles run them over.
+1 I have seen this happen with my own eyes on Battery Lane in Bethesda. The rescue squad ambulance stopped for a school bus with red flashing lights on and stop sign out.
I think for most ambulance patients that's fine. But every now and then you're going to have a life and death situation, and I'd hate for my kid's schoolbus to be the reason the patient didn't make it.
The problem is that it’s not just a stopped vehicle, there are kids getting on and off of it. And those kids probably aren’t going to look before crossing the street. So even if it is a life or death situation, if they try to pass the bus, they risk running over a child and killing them.
Even if you practice drills, you can’t guarantee that kids will follow them in real life. A fire drill has a teacher right thereto guide the kids. A bus driver would have to get up, go outside, wrangle the kids, and by that point the ambulance may have just waiting anyway.
Better outcomes all around if emergency vehicles just yield to school buses. If someone is so far gone that an extra 20 seconds of waiting means they don’t make it, chances are they weren’t going to make it anyway. There are a thousand other variables that could have delayed them those 20 seconds.
I have sat for a number of minutes behind many school buses, as late kids run for the bus, kids stop to wave to their parent before getting on, etc. No, a patient in distress or a house on fire shouldn't wait for several minutes for this. They should inch forward slowly and the adults on scene should make sure that kids are out of the way.
It's interesting that people suggest training the kids about this situation, but not for them to always stop and look both ways before crossing the street (and never running into the street).
Anonymous
02/27/2026 14:40
Subject: School kids and emergency vehicles
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Just saw an odd situation where a firetruck was trying to pass a stopped schoolbus. The schoolkids weren't staying put so the firetruck could pass. Are schoolkids trained in what to do in that situation? My kids didn't ride the bus so I can't ask them
School buses always have priority - the priority is for the kids to get safely on the bus and not have any vehicles run them over.
+1 I have seen this happen with my own eyes on Battery Lane in Bethesda. The rescue squad ambulance stopped for a school bus with red flashing lights on and stop sign out.
I think for most ambulance patients that's fine. But every now and then you're going to have a life and death situation, and I'd hate for my kid's schoolbus to be the reason the patient didn't make it.
The problem is that it’s not just a stopped vehicle, there are kids getting on and off of it. And those kids probably aren’t going to look before crossing the street. So even if it is a life or death situation, if they try to pass the bus, they risk running over a child and killing them.
Even if you practice drills, you can’t guarantee that kids will follow them in real life. A fire drill has a teacher right thereto guide the kids. A bus driver would have to get up, go outside, wrangle the kids, and by that point the ambulance may have just waiting anyway.
Better outcomes all around if emergency vehicles just yield to school buses. If someone is so far gone that an extra 20 seconds of waiting means they don’t make it, chances are they weren’t going to make it anyway. There are a thousand other variables that could have delayed them those 20 seconds.
+1 Train the school bus drivers to tell the kids to get on or off as quickly as possible in this rare situation so it’s safe to turn the lights off and pull in the stop sign and the emergency vehicle can pass.
It's like herding cats.
Anonymous
02/27/2026 13:47
Subject: School kids and emergency vehicles
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Just saw an odd situation where a firetruck was trying to pass a stopped schoolbus. The schoolkids weren't staying put so the firetruck could pass. Are schoolkids trained in what to do in that situation? My kids didn't ride the bus so I can't ask them
School buses always have priority - the priority is for the kids to get safely on the bus and not have any vehicles run them over.
+1 I have seen this happen with my own eyes on Battery Lane in Bethesda. The rescue squad ambulance stopped for a school bus with red flashing lights on and stop sign out.
I think for most ambulance patients that's fine. But every now and then you're going to have a life and death situation, and I'd hate for my kid's schoolbus to be the reason the patient didn't make it.
The problem is that it’s not just a stopped vehicle, there are kids getting on and off of it. And those kids probably aren’t going to look before crossing the street. So even if it is a life or death situation, if they try to pass the bus, they risk running over a child and killing them.
Even if you practice drills, you can’t guarantee that kids will follow them in real life. A fire drill has a teacher right thereto guide the kids. A bus driver would have to get up, go outside, wrangle the kids, and by that point the ambulance may have just waiting anyway.
Better outcomes all around if emergency vehicles just yield to school buses. If someone is so far gone that an extra 20 seconds of waiting means they don’t make it, chances are they weren’t going to make it anyway. There are a thousand other variables that could have delayed them those 20 seconds.
+1 Train the school bus drivers to tell the kids to get on or off as quickly as possible in this rare situation so it’s safe to turn the lights off and pull in the stop sign and the emergency vehicle can pass.
Anonymous
02/27/2026 08:27
Subject: School kids and emergency vehicles
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Just saw an odd situation where a firetruck was trying to pass a stopped schoolbus. The schoolkids weren't staying put so the firetruck could pass. Are schoolkids trained in what to do in that situation? My kids didn't ride the bus so I can't ask them
School buses always have priority - the priority is for the kids to get safely on the bus and not have any vehicles run them over.
+1 I have seen this happen with my own eyes on Battery Lane in Bethesda. The rescue squad ambulance stopped for a school bus with red flashing lights on and stop sign out.
I think for most ambulance patients that's fine. But every now and then you're going to have a life and death situation, and I'd hate for my kid's schoolbus to be the reason the patient didn't make it.
The problem is that it’s not just a stopped vehicle, there are kids getting on and off of it. And those kids probably aren’t going to look before crossing the street. So even if it is a life or death situation, if they try to pass the bus, they risk running over a child and killing them.
Even if you practice drills, you can’t guarantee that kids will follow them in real life. A fire drill has a teacher right thereto guide the kids. A bus driver would have to get up, go outside, wrangle the kids, and by that point the ambulance may have just waiting anyway.
Better outcomes all around if emergency vehicles just yield to school buses. If someone is so far gone that an extra 20 seconds of waiting means they don’t make it, chances are they weren’t going to make it anyway. There are a thousand other variables that could have delayed them those 20 seconds.
Anonymous
02/27/2026 07:35
Subject: School kids and emergency vehicles
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Just saw an odd situation where a firetruck was trying to pass a stopped schoolbus. The schoolkids weren't staying put so the firetruck could pass. Are schoolkids trained in what to do in that situation? My kids didn't ride the bus so I can't ask them
School buses always have priority - the priority is for the kids to get safely on the bus and not have any vehicles run them over.
+1 I have seen this happen with my own eyes on Battery Lane in Bethesda. The rescue squad ambulance stopped for a school bus with red flashing lights on and stop sign out.
I think for most ambulance patients that's fine. But every now and then you're going to have a life and death situation, and I'd hate for my kid's schoolbus to be the reason the patient didn't make it.
Oh well, that’s life.
Anonymous
02/27/2026 04:56
Subject: School kids and emergency vehicles
Anonymous wrote:This happens very rarely. So no, training children would not solve the problem.
Yes it is rare but so are school fires - - yet all schools have practice fire drills.
I think it would be a good idea to teach the kids what to do if an emergency vehicle is trying to pass by.
Anonymous
02/26/2026 20:20
Subject: School kids and emergency vehicles
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Just saw an odd situation where a firetruck was trying to pass a stopped schoolbus. The schoolkids weren't staying put so the firetruck could pass. Are schoolkids trained in what to do in that situation? My kids didn't ride the bus so I can't ask them
School buses always have priority - the priority is for the kids to get safely on the bus and not have any vehicles run them over.
+1 I have seen this happen with my own eyes on Battery Lane in Bethesda. The rescue squad ambulance stopped for a school bus with red flashing lights on and stop sign out.
I think for most ambulance patients that's fine. But every now and then you're going to have a life and death situation, and I'd hate for my kid's schoolbus to be the reason the patient didn't make it.
Anonymous
02/26/2026 19:40
Subject: School kids and emergency vehicles
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Just saw an odd situation where a firetruck was trying to pass a stopped schoolbus. The schoolkids weren't staying put so the firetruck could pass. Are schoolkids trained in what to do in that situation? My kids didn't ride the bus so I can't ask them
School buses always have priority - the priority is for the kids to get safely on the bus and not have any vehicles run them over.
+1 I have seen this happen with my own eyes on Battery Lane in Bethesda. The rescue squad ambulance stopped for a school bus with red flashing lights on and stop sign out.
Anonymous
02/26/2026 14:35
Subject: School kids and emergency vehicles
Showdown!!!!!
Anonymous
02/26/2026 13:53
Subject: School kids and emergency vehicles
Anonymous wrote:This is so interesting! I looked it up, and in all 50 states, All vehicles, including emergency vehicles, are required to stop for school buses.
This. Everyone stops for school busses. Everyone.
Anonymous
02/26/2026 11:08
Subject: School kids and emergency vehicles
This happens very rarely. So no, training children would not solve the problem.
Anonymous
02/26/2026 11:05
Subject: School kids and emergency vehicles
Anonymous wrote:Just saw an odd situation where a firetruck was trying to pass a stopped schoolbus. The schoolkids weren't staying put so the firetruck could pass. Are schoolkids trained in what to do in that situation? My kids didn't ride the bus so I can't ask them
School buses always have priority - the priority is for the kids to get safely on the bus and not have any vehicles run them over.
Anonymous
02/26/2026 10:43
Subject: School kids and emergency vehicles
Anonymous wrote:Just saw an odd situation where a firetruck was trying to pass a stopped schoolbus. The schoolkids weren't staying put so the firetruck could pass. Are schoolkids trained in what to do in that situation? My kids didn't ride the bus so I can't ask them
Probably not. The bus driver would need to give them instructions.
Anonymous
02/26/2026 10:18
Subject: School kids and emergency vehicles
This is so interesting! I looked it up, and in all 50 states, All vehicles, including emergency vehicles, are required to stop for school buses.
Anonymous
02/26/2026 09:35
Subject: School kids and emergency vehicles
Just saw an odd situation where a firetruck was trying to pass a stopped schoolbus. The schoolkids weren't staying put so the firetruck could pass. Are schoolkids trained in what to do in that situation? My kids didn't ride the bus so I can't ask them