Letters from NYC

DHC Terror Alert - Extremists Seek School Bus Work

The Dept of Homeland Security has issued a terror alert advising police and other security officials around the country to be aware that members of extremist groups have recently signed up as school bus drivers or purchased school buses in the United States.

The memo notes that althought the DHC & FBI “have no information indicating these individuals are involved in a terrorist plot against the homeland... Most attempts by foreign nationals in the United States to acquire school bus licenses to drive them are legitimate.”

Since I know a few of my readers are teachers, here's a School Bus Security Handout and Guide for School Bus Drivers that might help nervous parents because they can share them with their children's bus driver. I will post shortly some security measures parents themselves can take if they see something suspicious. Parents: the bottom line is if you get a gut feeling about something or someone not being right with regard to your children's school bus, follow your instincts! It was my own instincts that saved me on the morning of 9/11.

Update: After spending a couple of hours trying to find something that would help a parent think about what to look for I realized that the 2 items I've posted for bus drivers are the best things a parent can read. I find it terribly sad that children are always the easiest and most vulnerable targets.