The top 5 lies about school bus cameras may be the following:
#1 - School bus cameras will provide “peace of mind” to school district staff and parents of children riding those buses.
(These systems cannot provide the above claim of a benefit if they are in fact not powered up, properly programmed, and the cameras are not maintained. This is a “Stewardship” requirement of the customer service staff to maintain.)
#2 - School bus cameras will document who gets on and who gets off, as well as where and when.
(These systems cannot provide the above claim of a benefit if they are in fact not powered up, properly programmed, have a functional GPS setup and antenna installed, and the cameras are not maintained. This is a “Stewardship” requirement of the customer service staff to maintain.)
#3 - School bus cameras will resolve student disputes with verifiable video evidence.
(These systems cannot provide the above claim of a benefit if they are in fact not powered up, properly programmed, and the cameras are not maintained. This is a “Stewardship” requirement of the customer service staff to maintain.)
#4 - School bus cameras will defend the driver from false claims or threats, contact, and dangerous driving.
(These systems cannot provide the above claim of a benefit if they are in fact not powered up, properly programmed, and the cameras are not maintained. This is a “Stewardship” requirement of the customer service staff to maintain.)
#5 - School bus cameras will enable the district to defend against false claims and potential litigation.
(These systems cannot provide the above claim of a benefit if they are in fact not powered up, properly programmed, and the cameras are not maintained. This is a “Stewardship” requirement of the customer service staff to maintain.)
The above-mentioned or stated claims made by those selling school bus cameras may be true in some, if not many, cases.
However, what those selling and advertising the systems fail to mention is the regimented dedication required to set up the system properly, maintain its operational function, and provide periodic safety/function checks, just like any other type of safety equipment.
Many invest school budget funds into a school bus camera system, thinking it is similar to a fire extinguisher. While in some ways that metaphor is correct, in others it is not. Most districts purchase the products, have them installed, and simply ignore them until there is an incident or crime on the school bus, for which the school bus camera video files are now needed for review.
Many times in my nearly 40-year history of sales and service in these markets, I have been contacted by school districts seeking to review important video files on the SD memory cards, only to find they have never once checked to see if the systems were actually powered up when the bus is running and recording. One incident involved them sending the SD card to me for testing to try to get the files off the card, only to reveal the only files on the card were from about 7 years earlier and were of my fellow installers, now the Sheriff of a police department, and me doing the final DVR programming on the bus. A day after we left the site, the batteries were stolen by vandals. When the new batteries were installed, the installer shorted the cables, blowing a 10-cent fuse in our power harness that protects the DVR against reverse-bias shorts. As a result, the bus had been operating for the last 7 years without the system being powered up.
Listed on our quote pricing Terms, as well as on our website Terms, is the following:
Operational Verification:
It is solely the user's responsibility to verify the product's functionality upon installation and each time it is operated, to prevent missing documentation of important events due to operational issues that could have been detected before they prevent important video evidence from being documented. Operational verification can be a simple daily visual verification of the DVR LED Status LEDs displayed on the unit faceplate to verify the unit is powered up and recording, or by use of the Remote DVR Status module (option). ABV recommends weekly verification via memory card files playback test, to ensure the cameras are all properly aimed, that the camera lenses are clean, that the audio is functional for each camera, and that the DVR is recording when the ignition is on.
"Agency implies Stewardship", meaning if you own a product, it is your responsibility to maintain the product to ensure you can obtain value from the use or operation of that product.
ABV recommends daily LED DVR status checks and weekly video recording system checks to ensure all systems are recording properly. This way, when you need them most in an incident, you do not learn the DVR blew a 10-cent fuse 7 years ago (actual case) and has not worked a day since.
Alternative School & Juvenile Detention Bus Security Cameras will have the same operating system requirements and periodic function checks to ensure they are operational when needed.
All school district Head Start, Pre-K, Pre-School, Nursery School, and Child Safety Bus Camera Recorder systems share the same requirements to maintain operational functionality.
Districts that have Before & After Care, School Child Day Care, Pickup In-vehicle Shuttle, and Safety Cameras installed in buses that shuttle children to and from schools for those programs also need the same level of operational requirements and system-function checks.
Pupil transportation services that equip our Private Service Contractor, Charter Transport, with Compliance Bus Camera Systems on their school buses also share the same above needs for function checks.
https://americanbusvideo.com/mobile-video-applications/private-service-contractor
Lastly, wheelchair-equipped school buses that transport individuals in wheelchairs or with special needs, equipped with our Special Needs Wheelchair School Bus Video Surveillance Systems, will also meet the above requirements to maintain functionality.
The point of this article is to demonstrate that while these school bus camera systems can perform many useful functions for the district or fleet, they cannot do so unless they are installed, properly programmed, and routinely tested and checked for functionality.
Simply spending taxpayer funds in order to equip your school bus fleet with onboard camera systems is not the end of the process; it is, in reality, the beginning.
What must follow is a periodic maintenance routine to check and verify that the system functions are working into the future. This requires dedication and effort to remain vigilant and keep the systems functional, so when needed, they will provide the video evidence desired when they were purchased.
Should you have any questions or concerns or require more information about Testudo Lifetime System Warranty School Bus Camera Systems, various applications or School Bus Student Transportation Video Camera Recorder configurations, please let us know. We will be happy to offer our 35+ years of market experience in sales and service of digital recording devices to respond to your concerns or questions.
