Local school divisions are gearing up for the school year and want students to feel confident about school bus safety. The transportation departments of Chinook’s Edge, Wolf Creek, Red Deer Public, Red Deer Catholic and Wild Rose school divisions, along with Prairie Bus Lines, are rolling out the annual First Rider bus safety event beginning this week. 

The First Rider program started in 2009 and targets students in kindergarten and grade one, along with any other students who will be riding a school bus for the first time. The 45-minute program is free of charge and involves four activity stations where participants become familiar and comfortable with protocols, procedures and expectations that will make their busing experience successful. Each participant will receive a goodie bag! 

Participants start by watching a video of Winnie-the-Pooh as he rides a school bus for the first time. They will then learn about safety priorities at the bus stop, conduct a safety evacuation and discover the ‘danger zone’ around the bus where incidents are most likely to occur. Finally, they hop on a school bus with their parents or guardian for a 10-minute ride to learn about loading and exiting the bus correctly. 

First Rider will be offered from 3:00 – 7:00 p.m. in:

  • Red Deer & Area - August 16 at École Secondaire Notre Dame High School parking lot 
  • Olds & Area - August 17 at École Deer Meadow School staff parking lot 
  • Lacombe & Area – August 18 at the Gary Moe Autogroup Sportsplex 
  • Rocky Mountain House & Area – August 23 at West Central High School / St. Dominic High School 
  • Drayton Valley & Area – August 24 at Frank Maddock High School