Carroll County ’ s 311 contractor-operated buses constituted a network of drivers and cell phones , but without any interconnectivity , built-in device safety features , or real-time tracking capabilities . Communication and GPS were critical elements of the district ’ s transportation departmental improvement plan for years – and approved by the school board-appointed security council . Stubenrauch and transportation department staff spent a lot of time researching and testing various solutions . “ We conducted a pretty exhaustive search and testing process for technology which would solve our GPS and communication issues , allowing us to safely provide more effective transportation for our students ,” said Michael Hardesty , director of transportation for Carroll County Public Schools .
A novel solution for multiple problems
Ultimately , the district entered into an agreement with a diverse set of product and service providers – GPSLockbox , BusPatrol , AT & T ’ s FirstNet , Transfinder , and Zonar systems – to solve these myriad issues at no projected cost to the school district . In June 2020 , Hardesty said that Carroll County Public Schools officially entered a five-year agreement with BusPatrol to install external stop-arm cameras on the district ' s entire fleet . In coordination with the local sheriff ’ s department , ticket revenue generated by stop-arm violations will not only pay for the BusPatrol system – but also for the entire fleet to be outfitted with GPSLockbox PTT mounting kits ; FirstNet mobile devices and communication capabilities ; Zonar tracking and location services ; and Transfinder student-tracking , route-mapping , and parent-facing apps . " It is my understanding that this is the first deployment of its kind in America , where all of the safety technology fully pays for itself ,” Hardesty said . “ It came together at the perfect time for us , with the pandemic already putting a stress on our communication network ." The deployment is the first of its kind now available in eight states .
Safe and reliable onboard communication
GPSLockbox and FirstNet outfitted Carroll County ’ s 311 buses with AT & T Enhanced Push-to-Talk ( ePTT ), allowing for secure , real-time group communication over the nationwide 4G network , as well as Sonim XP5s ruggedized feature phones for contractors and Sonim XP8 ruggedized Android phones for transportation supervisors . The Sonim XP5s , for onboard use , were installed on mounting kits provided by GPSLockbox . The GPSLockbox system secures the Sonim device , allowing for convenient locking and unlocking and handsfree operation . The mounting system ’ s built-in amplifier and speaker allows for cleaner communications than a cell phone , and the attached palm microphone is ergonomically very similar to a traditional driver ’ s mic . The kit ’ s NAC-approved power system wires the device directly into the vehicle ’ s fuse box . To see how the system works , visit
https :// youtu . be / sqa-OMN0wVY . “ It is the industry ’ s only mounting hardware optimized for Push-to-Talk which also includes a 20-watt amplifier and speaker ; and individual volume control so that a driver can easily increase or reduce the device ’ s volume without taking their eyes off the road , searching for the side buttons on a phone ,” said Dan Starr , GPSLockbox vice president of sales and marketing . Stubenrauch said that the powerful speaker system is critical for pupil transportation due to the noisy onboard environment . From an operational perspective , she said that the entire mounting system is a massive upgrade for the district ’ s emergency management processes . “ Many times , drivers cannot even hear a regular cell phone ringing because of onboard noise ,” she said . “ Whereas we previously needed drivers to pull over and answer a phone call , they have a microphone within reach and can use it while remaining in compliance with Maryland law .” If drivers encounter an emergency while driving , they can pick up the microphone and automatically and simultaneously connect to the district ’ s transportation office and their contractor employer . PTT allows for one-toone and one-to-many communications , which is critical for dispatchers who must quickly communicate directives during emergency situations . “ It operates very much like traditional school bus radio microphone , but it works on the FirstNet nationwide cellular system as opposed to a traditional local radio tower ,” Starr added . FirstNet , built with AT & T , is a communications platform dedicated to public safety – purpose-built for first responders and safetydriven industries like pupil transportation .
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