Palm Beach, FL
ALM TRAN PUBLIC TRANSPORtation
in West Palm Beach, Florida
is committed to putting the safety
of its bus operators and passengers at the
forefront through implementing strategies
to advance safety and security. Th ese
strategies include: equipping buses with
audio and video recording technology
and providing ongoing de-escalation
training for bus operators. Th ese initiatives
have resulted in measurable improvements
in safety and security.
“Th e few incidents that have occurred
on our system could have likely
been avoided if drivers had followed
their de-escalation training. We work
with the bus operators to identify their
‘button-pushers’ and counsel them on
how to deal with customers who may
be a threat to the safety and comfort
of the operator and the passengers,”
Palm Tran Executive Director Clinton
B. Forbes said. “One of the best pieces
of advice I give the operators is that it
is their absolute right to call for help
and have someone removed from the
system if they perceive any potential
safety threat.”
Palm Tran enlisted Moore Counseling
& Mediation Services, Inc. (MCSM)
to provide regular de-escalation training
to all Palm Tran bus operators. Th e
program trains bus operators to diffuse
tense situations through eff ective
communication tactics which help avoid
serious aggression.
“De-escalation works as a great set
of tools, assisting operators with making
a sound judgment when they are
faced with a challenging passenger,”
said MCSM President and CEO Martina
Moore. “We have trained thousands
of operators and other professionals
and have received feedback that the
de-escalation skills have been helpful in
the workplace and in their personal life.”
“Many safety situations arise from
fare disputes. We train the bus operators
to quote the Company policy and not
escalate the situation,” Senior Manager
of Safety, Training and Compliance
Richard McKinney said.
Bad actors can also be banned for
90 days from the bus system and all
Palm Tran property under a trespass
ordinance approved by the
Palm Beach County Board of County
Commissioners. It has been an eff ective
tool to enhance safety and security
working with law enforcement,
according to McKinney.
Additionally, when Forbes joined
the transit agency in 2015, he noted that
while Palm Tran buses were equipped
with video monitoring devices, the
audio recording technology was turned
off . Forbes led a safety initiative to turn
on the audio on Palm Tran’s entire bus
fl eet of 159 buses. In addition, the buses
now have audio announcements and
decals that inform passengers assaulting
a bus operator is a felony among other
important notifi cations.
“Equipping the buses with video
and audio recording equipment
drastically improves the safety of
our system,” Forbes explained. “Th is
critical technology captures precise
and unbiased evidence which aids law
enforcement in the case of an incident.
Th e audio and video recordings are also
a strong deterrent, and that’s reinforced
with onboard signage.”
Furthermore, Palm Tran bus
operators receive customer service
training and Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) sensitivity training and
must routinely pass a variety of safety
assessments throughout their career.
Th e safety culture is ever-present at
Palm Tran. For example, all meetings
begin with a monthly safety message.
Th e message, which is also displayed
on monitors throughout all Palm Tran
buildings, focuses on contemporary
issues that are being reported by bus
operators, maintenance technicians
and other staff . Th is month’s message
focuses on preventing slips, trips and
falls. Last month, the message raised
awareness about increased pedestrians
as schools resumed session.
“Promoting a culture of safety is
imperative,” McKinney said. “As Palm
Beach County surges in population,
Palm Tran will continue to drive the
best-in-class safety practices and
utilize onboard technology to ensure
we remain a safe and effi cient
mode of transportation.”
Richard
McKinney
Senior
Manager
of Safety,
Training and
Compliance
Palm Tran
P
ASSENGER AND OPERATOR
safety is a top priority at Lytx, and has
been for the past 20 years. Quite simply,
our goal is to save lives. Th is theme
of safety has been a connecting thread
throughout my 36-year career in fl eet
safety, during which I have worked in
driver training and safety/risk analysis.
I’ve personally trained tens of thousands
of drivers, while Lytx currently protects
more than 850,000 across the globe.
For Lytx’s 3,000+ clients, including
nine of the top 15 transit and railroad
companies, having a strong safety culture
San Diego, Calif.
Del Lisk
VP of Safety
Lytx
P
NOVEMBER 2018 | MassTransitmag.com | Mass Transit | 43
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