Polk County School Buses Get New Way To Call 9-1-1

BARTOW, FL — Bus drivers and attendants on Polk County Public School buses will have a new way to contact 9-1-1 during the upcoming school year.

"Polk County Public Schools is upgrading the radios on our fleet of buses and support vehicles," explained district officials.

While the new fleet radio system is expected to be in place by the start of the school year, the media was given a look at the installation process on Wednesday at the district's support services building in Bartow.

"Bus staff will receive training on the new radios prior to the beginning of the new school year," according to district officials. "The new fleet radio system will allow bus drivers and attendants to no longer need to use cell phones to call 9-1-1 or radio to the district’s bus dispatchers to call for help."

Bus drivers or attendants will now be able to press a button to reach the county’s 9-1-1 system and emergency services.

"The upgrade will also make it possible to immediately identify which bus is transmitting, and its location," district officials added.

District officials also plan to open a temporary call center for school bus inquiries and issues for the upcoming 2019-2020 school year.

Parents and guardians may call 863-534-7300 for assistance starting Monday, July 29 through Friday, Aug. 23. The call center will be staffed on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Alternatively, parents and guardians can access their child’s transportation information via the Parent Portal.