Milan Schools Upgrade Buses With Stop Arm Cameras

Motorists should never pass a bus when the stop stick is activated. These cameras should help with that.

Photo provided.

(Milan, Ind.) - Despite the mandatory closing of all Indiana schools as a result of the outbreak of COVID-19, school safety still remains a priority. Although teachers and students are eLearning at home for the remainder of the school year, administrators and office staff are maintaining daily operations while custodians and other key support staff at Milan Community Schools have been cleaning and sanitizing the school buildings and maintaining “operational readiness.”

While school is closed and school buses are not operating their daily routes, they were also cleaned and sanitized as well as having an additional safety feature added. In January, Milan Community Schools was awarded a $12,630 grant from the Rising Sun Regional Foundation for the purchase and installation of stop arm cameras for Milan’s school bus fleet. On March 30 and 31 the cameras, Pro-Vision BC-300 Series HD Dual Lens Stop Arm Cameras, were installed on the buses.

The stop arm cameras are state-of-the-art, high definition cameras that have a 180 degree field of view. When the stop arm is extended, a signal is sent to the camera telling it to be alert. If the camera detects motion, it immediately activates and will record the vehicle as it passes the bus from either direction. The camera will be able to catch the face of the driver, the vehicle itself, and license plate number. The camera also catches the stop arm itself within the video frame to prove the stop arm was extended should a driver claim the stop arm had not been activated.

Jane Rogers, Superintendent of Milan Community Schools commented, “The addition of stop arm cameras to our school bus fleet adds another layer of safety for our students.” She went on to say, “I’d also like to express my sincere appreciation to the Rising Sun Regional Foundation for their continued support of Milan Community Schools. Without their financial support, the purchase of these cameras may not have been possible.”

Actual bus camera footage. Photo provided.