Five local bus drivers win state safety competition, 3 travel to Internationals this Saturday

MARSHALL COUNTY, W.Va. ( WTRF ) – Every day, school bus drivers navigate their routes picking up kids, taking them to school and repeating the process at the end of the day.

For Bus Operators in Marshall County, it’s more than a job.

Transporting kids safely is a top priority that’s won them several statewide awards.

“We’re carrying the most precious cargo. We’re carrying my grandchildren, our employees’ children and grandchildren. There’s nothing more important than their safety.”

Jody Korn | Transportation Director, Marshall County Schools

That’s the same motto every bus operator follows at the Marshall County Transportation Department.

And it’s why they take their own personal time each year to compete in The School Bus Safety Road-E-O.

This statewide competition allows bus operators to show off their skills by going through a course designed to test their daily driving and other challenges.

Operators are tested on pre-trip inspections of the bus, student loading and unloading, parking and tight turns.

This year, Marshall County Transporation Employees brought home five individual awards and earned the West Virgnia Association for Pupil Transportaion School Bus Safety Road-E-O Team award for the second year in a row.

In the Small Bus Category, Emily Hickman won first, Kenny Richmon won second and Britta Hill won third. Chuck McClure won first place in the Large Bus Division, and Wilson Barnes Jr. won first in the Transit Bus Classification.

Hill says operators become better drivers just by attending the Road-E-O competition each year.

“It makes you a better driver, teaches you exactly where your tires are, and how to use your mirrors better. We do it every day, but when you put it into perspective, driving down tennis balls is definitely different then just driving down the street.”

Britta Hill | Bus Operator, Marshall County

Richmond has worked as a bus operator for 19 years and says he loves the job, the kids and his co-workers.

“It builds a lot of your skills and makes you more confident in what you do on the road. These people put these buses in places that a lot of people don’t believe. I mean, there’s hard places and we put them in there. This year we got good training, and we got good, good operators.”

Kenny Richmond | Bus Operator, Marshall County

Wilson Barnes Jr. voiced the same love for the job as Richmond and says he’s been working as a bus operator for three years.

“We have a good group of people that work here, not only drivers, but our mechanics, our leadership. We all strive to be the best that we can so that we can be the safest drivers out there on the road to protect our children and get them there safely.”

Wilson Barnes Jr. | Bus Operator, Marshall County

Jody Korn, Transporation Director, says her team is committed to safety and is proud to have some of the best bus operators and mechanics in the state.

“I’m really proud of the effort and the work they put in.”

Jody Korn | Transporation Director, Marshall County

The Marshall County Transporation Department recently learned they rank number one in the region for bus safety with the lowest defect rates.

Barnes, Hickman and McClure will represent Marshall County Schools and West Virginia at the 2024 School Bus Driver International Safety Competition in Austin, Texas this Saturday.

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