As 9-year-old Luke sat idly on the school bus to his after-school activity, anger swelled in a seat not far away. The animosity soon boiled over, initiating a loud and intense struggle between Luke and an older student.

Hearing the altercation, the driver immediately tapped her event marker, triggering automated actions from her contractor’s fleet management software. These actions would ultimately help the bus contractor resolve Luke’s event within minutes.

What actions were triggered? How did they facilitate a speedy resolution?

For answers, let’s look at ARMOR Software Suite, the contractor’s wireless, cloud-based fleet management tool, and the integrated REI surveillance system.* While the suite offers many automated features, the two triggered by the event marker involved event alerts and video downloading.

Automated Event Alerts

Seconds after the event marker’s activation, ARMOR auto-generated an alert and sent it to the contractor’s cellphone. Anxious about the alert, the contractor accessed ARMOR’s live look-in feature to assess the situation.*

The real-time, high-definition view from the onboard camera system revealed the irate older student standing over a much smaller Luke. While the incident appeared to have ended, Luke still cowered as if injured. The contractor immediately called the driver’s two-way radio to notify her about Luke’s condition, then returned to ARMOR to watch video of the entire incident.

Automated Video Downloads

Because ARMOR was configured to auto-download all event videos from vehicle DVRs, the contractor didn’t have to wait long to view it. What’s more, the video included padding and showed all actions before and after the altercation.

Within minutes of its occurrence, the contractor obtained full event details. A misunderstanding between Luke and the older student resulted in repeated punches to Luke’s head, leaving him dazed and sore. Because of ARMOR’s automation and its ability to produce video quickly, the suite saved the contractor hours of research. More importantly, it showed the hits sustained by Luke, prompting an urgent concussion assessment.

Think how these automated tools would benefit your operation. Would your team like to forget about hard drive retrieval? Be more proactive in minimizing bullying?

How would they react to even more automated features, such as:

• Diagnostic warnings/updates about engines and REI surveillance systems*
• Daily activity reports about vehicles
• Status notifications about vehicle features/operations
• Stop-arm violation alerts*

Discover how ARMOR’s automated capabilities can enhance fleet safety, increase efficiency and reduce stress on your team. Visit radioeng.com to learn more, watch a demo or contact us.

*Requires additional hardware and/or specific cellular service plans. Ask for details.

The views expressed are those of the content sponsor and do not reflect those of School Transportation News.

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Twice a year, the district reminds students about danger zone safety rules during its bus evacuation drills. Yet, a recent incident involving Henry confirmed that words and training are not enough to prevent life-threatening events.

Henry, an eager pre-K student, arrived late at his bus stop one day due to a power outage at home. Like any excited youngster, he ran to board his bus. Without thinking, he crossed in front of the bus and out of the driver’s sight.

Was it dumb luck that Henry eventually caught his driver’s attention? Or did the driver have an onboard assistant to thank? Read on for the answers.

1. The 360° Advantage

A second set of eyes can be invaluable for student safety – a statement that Henry’s driver can attest to. Because of REI’s 360° HD Camera System and its expansive views, he spotted Henry in the danger zone and promptly braked, preventing an unspeakable tragedy.

Now, this system provides full coverage of bus surroundings via bird’s-eye and three-dimensional views. For drivers, that means unobstructed, real-time views of students, objects or vehicles that may be hidden from sight. Henry’s driver uses it at bus stops and during turns and lane changes to avoid collisions. Your drivers would likely appreciate the extra visibility too.

But the district didn’t stop at just one solution to improve danger zone safety. They doubled up by adding a vision-based AI tool.

2. The Violation Detector

An estimated 251,000+ stop-arm violations occur daily around the U.S.* To oversee the stop-arm zone and deter illegal passings by repeat offenders, the district installed an REI AI Stop-Arm Violation Camera System on every bus.

The system’s vision-based AI camera sees vehicles enter its detection zone while the stop arm is extended. It then triggers the license plate cameras into action and facilitates an automated report in REI’s ARMOR Software Suite.** The report allows the district to quickly review violators’ license plates and data before sharing the information with law enforcement if needed.

Imagine both systems at work for your district. Your drivers would likely feel more at ease with 360-degree danger zone views. In addition, you would likely feel more relaxed knowing an automated detection system monitors your danger zone for stop-arm violators. A definite win-win for students and your district.

Visit radioeng.com to watch a 360° System demo or learn more about our AI Stop-Arm Camera System and ARMOR Software Suite.

*2024 survey results, National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services
**Additional hardware and software required.

The views expressed are those of the content sponsor and do not reflect those of School Transportation News.

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As weeks passed, the Midwestern district’s fleet management duties escalated. So much so that Tim, the transportation director, hired bus drivers to pull hard drives after hours and assist with other tasks. There simply weren’t enough hours in the day, and fleet demands stressed Tim’s typically upbeat team.

The trend soon changed thanks to REI’s wireless, automated ARMOR Software Suite. The district integrated the cloud-based data powerhouse to streamline fleet management for Tim’s team and help reduce expenses.

Let’s review its features – the same features that could help reduce your duties and costs too.

Actions

Tim accessed this feature to assign permissions, parameters, thresholds and automated procedures for all ARMOR functions. Most noteworthy: He set up the automatic download of event videos from fleet DVRs which eliminated drivers’ help in pulling hard drives.

Diagnostics

Once Tim configured ARMOR’s settings, the Diagnostics feature’s data showed that all engines and bus camera systems worked properly.* In addition, the vehicle logs and automated status updates helped the team:

• Detect problems early to mitigate/prevent major repairs
• Anticipate/correct issues before dispatching vehicles
• Monitor the video systems on the vehicles en route
• Gauge fuel efficiency, battery voltages, odometer readings and mechanical problems

Diagnostics made it possible for them to solve problems quickly, saving time and potential maintenance costs.

AutoPilot

An archive for downloaded surveillance videos and data, the team often accessed AutoPilot to review events and email the password-protected videos to others. This feature’s search tool also made it incredibly easy to find videos, saving the team hours of time (see image at top).

Dashboard

The team frequently checked Dashboard to monitor data about active vehicles, their locations, frequency of events and server storage space. With this feature at your disposal, you too could monitor fleet efficiency and safety remotely to save time and keep costs down.

Insight

Suppose you want to track vehicles in real time, request event video from a specific location or view event hotspots. ARMOR Insight is your source. Tim’s team frequently viewed the mapped routes, vehicle speed graphs and other useful data to locate and solve problems in a timely manner.*

StopArm

StopArm’s data made it easier for the team to find, review and manage violation videos. Having supporting data, license plate images and video in one place also expedited their reporting process. StopArm could save hours of work for your team too.

Work smarter, not harder on fleet management. Let ARMOR Software Suite’s automated data collection and reporting features do much of the legwork for you. Contact us today for more info!

*Additional hardware required.

The views expressed are those of the content sponsor and do not reflect those of School Transportation News.

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School was scheduled to start in two weeks. Yet, installation of the district’s new bus camera systems was delayed. As anxiety grew, so did the questions: Why the delay? Where were the buses? How quickly can the issues be resolved? The district raced to find answers.

While planning your installations, consider these eight tips to facilitate efficiency and help you stay on budget:

1. Hold Up-front Meetings

The more details you cover with stakeholders, the better. Organize meetings before installation begins to establish deadlines, review system requirements and settings, assign duties and expectations, examine shipping schedules, and discuss the approval process. Also, anticipate potential delays that could impact completion. Figure them into your timetable to ease deadline pressure.

2. Check State Regulations

Rules for bus safety solutions vary by state and may impact your hardware orders and installations. For example, some states require that cameras be recessed. Other states prohibit windshield-mount cameras but permit pedestal-mount models. Know the laws before you order to optimize expenses.

3. Confirm Bus Availability

Will your installer have access to the number of buses promised and at the right location(s)? Missing buses or incorrect addresses can result in lengthy delays and wasted time and money.

4. Set Up a Preview

Request the installation of one system on a vehicle. Assess the results with your installer to fine-tune the camera views, test DVR settings and identify potential barriers. Once you approve the setup, your installer can apply the same specs to the remaining installations to save time.

5. Be Available During Installations

Avoid costly do-overs by being present during installations. Should issues arise, you’ll be the first to know, enabling you to address questions quickly or make calls to find answers.

6. Require Sign-off Sheets

Have installers sign completion forms prior to receiving payment. A sign-off sheet after every installation helps ensure completion, accuracy and quality workmanship by the installer.

7. Request a Guarantee

If installation-related problems arise, you’ll want reassurance that they will be fixed at no charge. Ask your installer for a guarantee lasting a year or longer. When purchasing hardware, buy from a reputable vendor, like REI, with speedy turnaround on parts. In the unlikely event you receive a defective product, a replacement is sent within two business days.

8. Ask For 24/7/365 Support

When questions arise, installers need answers fast. Live, in-house Support can help prevent downtime. Let’s say your installer wants to confirm your REI camera system is operating correctly. You could call REI Support at any hour for troubleshooting assistance.

Contact REI for more information about its HD safety solutions and planning tips to facilitate their installation.

The views expressed are those of the content sponsor and do not reflect those of School Transportation News.

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Leo eagerly waved to his school bus driver, excited for the weekend ahead. His plan: attend a high school football game that night and a birthday party on Saturday. He could hardly wait. Unfortunately, a motorist could hardly wait for Leo’s bus to pick him up and hurried past, spoiling Leo’s excitement – and his weekend fun.

What really happened? Did Leo’s enthusiasm lead to the event? Was the school bus stopped? Stop arm extended?

So many questions, so few answers. But the district obtained answers within minutes thanks to their fleet management solution’s automated features and a stop-arm camera system.

Now, to address stop-arm violations like the district, your operation would need to integrate these reliable REI products: an AI Stop-Arm Violation Camera, one or two license plate cameras, a sensor harness, an HD6 DVR and ARMOR Software Suite, the cloud-based, wireless fleet management solution.

Together, the products would capture data and HD images with little to no effort from your team. Here’s how:

• The AI Camera would see a motorist enter its detection zone while the stop arm was out and automatically mark the video on your DVR.
• The marker would automatically prompt ARMOR to download the violation video from your DVR.
• ARMOR would also be prompted to send event alerts to your team to initiate a timely investigation.
• Your license plate camera(s) would capture images of the violator’s license plate(s).
• All images and metadata would be saved in ARMOR, ready for review and sharing by your operation shortly after the incident.

Wouldn’t you like to resolve events quickly? Provide greater peace of mind for parents, students and your district? Streamline your fleet management to save time and money? REI solutions make it possible.

Using the integrated solutions, Leo’s district verified the stop-arm violation by an impatient driver. Also confirmed: Leo’s bus had completely stopped, and its flashing stop arm was fully extended. Even so, the motorist’s speed made it impossible for Leo to avoid her. Luckily, he escaped the potentially catastrophic event with a broken arm due to the motorist’s side mirror.

The breathtaking incident happened on a quiet, two-lane highway near Leo’s home. It’s just one of the estimated 250,000+ illegal stop-arm passings that occur on a single day, according to a National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services survey. So, the need for violation detection exists.

Imagine having powerful tools to help deter, prevent and resolve stop-arm violations quickly. Think of the time, effort and stress you’d save. The savings and safety benefits could be transformative for your operation.

There’s no time to wait!

For more information about this solution, or a more advanced stop-arm solution, contact REI.

The views expressed are those of the content sponsor and do not reflect those of School Transportation News.

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