Assemblywoman Amy Paulin (D-Scarsdale), Chair of the Assembly Task Force on People with Disabilities, announced passage of her bill to require new school buses which transport three or more children with disabilities who use wheelchairs or other assistive mobility devices to be equipped with automatic fire suppression systems.

One of the most significant changes to pupil transportation in New York over the years is the increased number of children with special needs who are transported daily on accessible school buses. According to the New York State Department of Transportation, there are currently 4,400 buses in the state which are equipped to transport students who use wheelchairs or other assistive mobility devices. A bus fire involving children who are typically secured with multiple seatbelts and lock-down devices presents a potentially disastrous scenario.

"I shudder to think of children trapped in a school bus fire – especially those that cannot evacuate the vehicle on their own," Assemblywoman Paulin said. "But school bus fires have happened. In fact, there have been at least two bus fires this year in New York State alone. Fortunately, no children were killed in either of these incidents. Automatic fire extinguishing systems will prevent such horrors and make traveling safer for the students in New York who would find it difficult or impossible to abandon their buses independently."

On January 21, 2005 in Staten Island, a school bus fire trapped eight children with developmental disabilities between the ages of two and five. The fire spread quickly from the engine compartment to the passenger cabin. Had the bus been equipped with a fire suppression system, the driver would not have had to use his knife and cut away the seat belts, which melted from the heat, in order to get the children off the bus. Fortunately he and the matron were able to save all of the children.

A second incident occurred on February 15, 2005 in the Bronx when a bus transporting five children under the age of five erupted in flames. It took the driver, matron and a passer-by to get the children off the bus before the gas-tank exploded. If the bus had had a fire suppression system, this situation would not have occurred.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, approximately 90% of all bus and vehicle fires are caused by a failure originating in the engine compartment. These fires spread quickly and can engulf the entire bus within minutes. An engine-mounted automatic fire suppression system extinguishes flames within the engine compartment instantaneously and prevents a fire from spreading to other parts of the bus.

The cost of a fire suppression system is roughly that of a new vehicle tire. Furthermore, the cost savings to the school district and its insurer are considerable; replacing a school bus destroyed or damaged by fire can result in a sizeable and unexpected cost.

"I thank Senator Nick Spano, who introduced this bill in the Senate, for fighting aggressively to pass this bill in his house," Assemblywoman Paulin said. "It is my hope that now the Governor will agree that this bill is not only essential to our children’s safety but cost-effective for New York’s school districts as well and sign this measure into law. It clearly benefits all concerned. More importantly, it might even save a life one day."