News

Hillsborough death prompts Hernando safety rules review

Jeff Schmucker
Published: November 10, 2012

BROOKSVILLE - The death of a Hillsborough special-needs girl on a bus earlier this year and subsequent lawsuit has prompted Hernando County school board members to review their own safety measures.

Superintendent Bryan Blavatt said the time is as good as any for board members, along with district and school staff, to review safety procedures in hopes to avoid situations such as the death of Isabella Herrera, a second-grader who died after she was improperly positioned in her wheelchair while riding a bus home from school.

Her family is suing the Hillsborough school district, claiming that neither the aide nor the driver called 911 after the 7-year-old, who had a neuromuscular disorder that made her neck and other muscles weak, had a medical emergency.

The school district has since issued a directive saying their drivers are to use "good judgment and common sense" if an emergency arises on a school bus, including making a call to 911.

During Tuesday's afternoon workshop, Hernando County School Board Chairwoman Cynthia Moore questioned the district's policy and whether bus drivers are required to call the transportation office rather than 911 — similar to what the Hillsborough bus drivers were required to do.

Transportation Director Doug Compton said drivers are instructed to pull over and report their location to dispatch and the reason for pulling over.

"Location is first thing we get from them because we can't help them if we don't know where they are at," Compton said. "Once we get an actual location, dispatch calls 911."

He added that drivers are told they can also call for emergency assistance if dispatch can't be reached.

"Sometimes it's hard to get hold of dispatch," Moore said.

In Herrera's case, neither an aide nor the bus driver called 911 after the bus pulled over to the side of the road in front of a pediatric clinic. The driver called dispatch — following district protocol — while the aide on the bus called Herrera's mother twice from her cell phone.

When the mother arrived on the bus a few minutes later to find her daughter blue and lifeless, she called 911. Bella died the next day in a local hospital.

In light of Tuesday's discussion, Blavatt offered for the board to further discuss emergency procedures at a later date during a workshop.

"I think this is something worthwhile for everyone," Blavatt said. "I think it would be especially beneficial to review safety procedures not only with transportation, but with ESE and other staff as well to determine what kind of safety practices we have."

The Tampa Tribune's Rob Shaw contributed to this story jschmucker@hernandotoday.com (352) 544-5271