Cattaraugus County– A First Student bus transporting children to the Pioneer Central Schools catches fire in the early morning hours of March 16. Photos courtesy of New York State Police, Troop A.
Cattaraugus County— For the second time this winter, a CSEA member who drives a school bus is being called a hero for protecting the safety of children in their care.
On Friday, March 16, at approximately 6:50 a.m. while conducting his regular route on Townline Road near Yorkshire, Pioneer Central Schools bus driver and CSEA member Steve Opferbeck was driving uphill when he reported the bus engine was cutting out and eventually stalled for good, at which time he noticed smoke and what appeared to be fire coming from the engine area.
According to James O’Callaghan, public information officer for New York State Police Troop A, who spoke with Opferbeck at the scene, said the driver instructed the students to evacuate the bus through the rear emergency exit. Once outside of the vehicle, the driver immediately called 911.
“As I was climbing the hill, I could tell the bus was struggling on the icy road,” said Opferbeck. He added, “It took an instant for the front end to catch fire– I could see the flames igniting under the fender. My training kicked in and my first thought was to yell “fire” to alarm the three students and then escort them off the bus as quickly as possible. The whole thing took less than a minute to happen.”
Steve Opferbeck
Members of the Machias Fire Department took charge of the scene once they arrived and worked to extinguish the blaze. O’Callaghan stated the initial investigation shows the bus was consumed rapidly due to an accelerant, which he explained could be related to the fuel line malfunctioning.
On January 4, CSEA member and bus driver David Tenpas from Chautauqua County was credited with safely removing twelve students from a school bus before it erupted into flames near the town of Mayville, situated approximately 70 miles south of Buffalo. Tempas was transporting the children to the Sherman Central School District during his early morning commute.
Mark Schultz, principal at Pioneer High School and district appointed safety officer, reported directly to the scene in accordance with the district’s safety procedures to act as the main source of communication to the superintendent and other building principals, according to published reports by Pioneer Superintendent Ben Halsey.
“As unfortunate as these incidents are, we are very proud of the quick actions of our members when it comes to student safety,” said Western Region President Flo Tripi. She added, “It just highlights how important training and experience are on the job and that CSEA members often go above and beyond when duty calls. The truth is all bus drivers should be considered everyday heroes.”
Statement from Pioneer CSD issued March 16: “This morning on Townline Road in Machias, three students and a driver were unhurt when the First Student bus they were in caught fire. Those in the bus escaped out the rear exit after the driver noticed sparking from the engine compartment. Everybody is safe. The incident is still under investigation.”
-Ove Overmyer
