HARRISBURG, Pa. — Winners of the Keystone/Pennsylvania School Bus Association (PSBA) Safety Grant were announced at the PSBA’s Annual Conference at Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Champion, Pa., on June 24.
Winners included
• Fred and LeeAnn Kline with Allegheny Transportation of Aetna, Pa.
• John Polli with Reliance Student Transportation of York, Pa.
• Lea Newcomer with F&S Transportation of York, Pa.
Background
Keystone and the PSBA partnered in 2018 to provide the first annual Safety Grant as an opportunity to improve safety of fleet operations or services that are provided to employees or students.
The grant gives up to $30,000 to winners to implement proposed safety initiatives throughout the course of a year, with the opportunity to showcase their efforts during the next year’s annual conference.
“Judging of all 14 applications and scoring for the grant was extremely competitive,” explained Michael Berk, PSBA Executive Director. “The proposals we received showed ingenuity, creativity, and our members’ ongoing commitment to the safe transportation of our students. We encourage applicants not selected to resubmit for 2019.”
“Safety is the utmost importance in transporting students to school, and we recognized the opportunity to enhance both awareness and contractor operations through a safety grant,” said Brian Brusoski, Sr. VP of property & casualty with Keystone. “Giving operators a chance to select their initiatives was unique, effective and will inspire other operators in future years. It’s a win-win for all involved.”
Other actions
• Allegheny Transportation proposed a mascot, Gus the Goose, to minimize injuries by helping students remember safety rules in videos, school appearances and signs on the bus.
• Reliance Transportation proposed the installation of electronic “child check” units in their passenger vans to minimize the chances of a child being left in a van.
• F&S Transportation proposed creating an eco-friendly driver simulator for new and seasoned drivers to test skills in real-world environments, while saving on fuel consumption and carbon emissions.
About Keystone Insurers Group
Keystone started in 1983, when four independent insurance agencies teamed up to pool their experience and expertise. This small group believed that agencies could be stronger and more successful if they linked arms—a passion and spirit that continues. Growing to almost 300 independent agency partners in 11 states, Keystone provides its agents with a community of like-minded agencies, industry expertise and access to specialized products for their clients. Keystone is ranked number three on Insurance Journal’s 2017 list of Top 20 Privately-Held Property/Casualty Agency Partnerships. www.keystoneinsgrp.com
About the Pennsylvania School Bus Association
PSBA was founded in 1980, and includes over 300 school bus contractors and industry partners. They have joined to act as a strong voice for school bus safety and the school bus contracting industry. www.paschoolbus.org
