DISPATCH
In this photo taken March 8 , 2017 , Robert Sumwalt briefs the media at Washington Reagan National Airport prior to the NTSB go-team ' s departure for Biloxi , Mississippi , to investigate the March 7 , 2017 , grade crossing accident there . NTSB photo
NTSB Chairman Robert L . Sumwalt retires
National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Robert L . Sumwalt ended his nearly 15 years at the NTSB , as he retired from government service in June . Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg will serve as the acting chairman until a new chair is confirmed by the Senate . President Biden nominated NTSB Member Jennifer Homendy May 20 to become the 15th chair of the NTSB . Sumwalt ’ s tenure as the 14th chairman of the NTSB began in August 2017 after being nominated to lead the agency by President Donald J . Trump and confirmed by the Senate . He was renominated for a second term as chairman in August 2019 . “ The NTSB ’ s role is extremely important : by conducting thorough investigations , our work helps prevent accidents and crashes , reduces injuries , and saves lives ,” said Sumwalt . “ I ’ ve been honored to be part of this great agency , and to have served with the dedicated men and women of the NTSB .” During his tenure at the NTSB , Sumwalt responded to 36 accident sites in all modes of transportation , including ;
• The December 2018 natural gas pipeline explosion and fires in Merrimack Valley , Massachusetts
• The March 2018 Florida International University pedestrian bridge collapse in Miami , Florida
• The May 2015 derailment of Amtrak train 188 in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania
• The May 2010 accident involving the Staten Island Ferry Andrew J . Barberi in New York City
• The August 2006 crash of Comair Flight 5191 in Lexington , Kentucky In addition to leading the agency and advocating for the adoption of hundreds of safety recommendations the NTSB issues each year , Sumwalt made a concerted effort to ensure staff had investigative resources and supportive leadership at all levels to make the organization one of the best in the federal government . “ I am proud that , by working together , we have increased our standing in the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government ’ s annual rankings ,” Sumwalt said . “ Our employee engagement is at all all-time high , and our internal communications have never been stronger .” Sumwalt came to the NTSB in August 2006 with his appointment as the 37th member of the agency , whereupon President George W . Bush designated him as vice chairman for a two-year term . President Barack Obama reappointed Sumwalt to an additional five-year term
as a board member in November 2011 . He was reappointed for another term by President Trump in 2017 . Before joining the NTSB Sumwalt was a pilot for 32 years , including 24 years with Piedmont Airlines and US Airways , accumulating more than 14,000 flight hours . During his tenure at US Airways , he worked on special assignment to the flight safety department and served on the airline ’ s Flight Operational Quality Assurance monitoring team . The NTSB has five board members , each nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate to serve five-year terms . By statute , the president designates , with Senate confirmation , a chairman . The president also designates a board member as vice chairman , however , Senate confirmation is not required for the vice chairman . The vice chairman and chairman each serve three-year terms . When there is no designated chairman , the vice chairman serves as acting chairman . Board members whose terms expire may remain on the board until their replacement is appointed .
BusPatrol launches academy to hire and train safety technology installers
BusPatrol announced the launch of BusPatrol Academy , a oneweek paid training and certification program for aspiring technicians . Attendees will learn how to modernize school buses with the company ’ s leading safety technology . The company is actively recruiting hundreds of Field Service Technicians to help outfit tens of thousands of buses with safety technology . BusPatrol has recently announced tens of new partnerships across the North East , including its biggest partnership to date with Suffolk County in New York State . As part of the Suffolk County School Bus Safety Program , BusPatrol will upgrade entire school bus fleets at more than 70 school districts , equivalent to more than 4,000 school buses . BusPatrol ’ s advanced hardware and software package includes stop-arm cameras , 4G LTE connectivity , DVR and storage devices , cloud-managed 360-degree safety cameras ( interior , windshield , rearview , and side load cameras ), and GPS and telemetry . The first BusPatrol Academy training session will be based in Long Island , New York . Trainees receive full room and board , as well as the opportunity to train with the leading provider of stop-arm enforcement technology in the US . During the training week , Field Service Technicians will complete six installs , each on a different school bus type , before graduating from the program . The week includes a full day of focused training on key
8 | SCHOOL-BUSRIDE . COM | AUGUST 2021