News | November 8, 2007

Vertical Alliance Group Introduces Compliance Kit For Texas House Bill 3190 Program For Districts Facilitates School Bus Training And Evacuation

Dallas, TX - Vertical Alliance Group Inc., online publisher of recruiting and safety training sites, has launched a complete solution for Texas school districts to "get in compliance" with Texas House Bill 3190, which pertains to school bus safety and evacuation training. The Compliance Kit, along with other safety training programs for school bus drivers, is available immediately and affordably online at www.SafePupilTransport.com.

HB 3190, authored by Rep. Helen Giddings and sponsored by Sen. John Carona, requires school districts to train all students and teaching staff on emergency school bus evacuations at least twice annually. Additionally, the bill prohibits any person who has committed certain offenses from operating a school bus for 10 years after the offense, requires operators to wear seatbelts if available, prohibits operation of a school bus if the manufacturer's design capacity is exceeded, and authorizes to prohibit passengers from standing or sitting on the floor of a bus, or anywhere that is not a seat. Signed by Gov. Rick Perry on June 15, HB 3190 officially went into effect on Sept. 1.

The initial deadline for compliance with HB 3190 for Texas districts is Dec. 1. But, given the difficulty of getting in compliance by this date, Vertical Alliance has introduced the Compliance Kit at SafePupilTransport.com to facilitate the information and logistics required, according to Jay Wommack, founder, president and CEO of Vertical Alliance.

"District personnel already have a myriad of responsibilities that make getting in compliance with HB 3190 difficult, if not impossible," Wommack said. "To help them complete their required safety training, we've created a one-stop solution at SafePupilTransport.com that is affordable and comprehensive, and eliminates any guesswork associated with understanding their obligations."

Vertical Alliance's HB 3190 Compliance Kit consists of two training videos on DVD. The first is used to train instructors on how to perform the evacuation walkthrough with students, and the second is for students to view prior to participating in the evacuation walkthrough. In addition to the training videos, the program includes all necessary paperwork school districts are required to file with the state, as well as handouts for students and teachers, reporting forms, question and answer guides, and detailed instructions on how and when to implement each step of the program.

The entire Compliance Kit is currently available at SafePupilTransport.com for a licensing fee of $150, which allows information to be shared among schools district-wide. In addition to the Compliance Kit, SafePupilTransport.com also offers up-to-date, professional online safety training videos for school bus drivers nationwide.

SOURCE: Vertical Alliance Group Inc.