Noah Berger and Niorka Mendez, Merrimack Regional Transit Authority (MVRTA) of Northeast Massachusetts share ideas on de-escalation refresher training, recruiting from the community and know when to reach out for help. Seventy-five percent of the riders on MVRTA are Spanish-speaking, respectful relationship-building between riders and drivers is key. This podcast features tips from a former bus operator, now Communications Director and the Administrator/CEO of a mid-sized transit agency.

• Know Your Community, Know Your Limitations (YouTube)

In this episode, Ream Lazaro, Safety Consulting, LLC,, provides practical information that will help every frontline transit employee understand conflict, know personal hot buttons, and hear de-escalation strategies for passenger to driver and passenger to passenger episodes, and. Ream emphasizes that safety risk and assault are critical issues for large, small and rural systems. He reminds us that while the number of incidents may be lower within smaller systems, but the devasting effects are no small matter.

• Failsafe Point, Protecting Yourself and Your Customers, Part One (YouTube)

In this episode, Ream Lazaro, Safety Consulting, LLC., provides more practical information that will help every frontline transit employee be aware of early warning signals of conflict and ways to reduce aggression. Ream addresses dangerous situations that drivers never want to find themselves in and how to respond to keep themselves and their passengers safe. Free, self-directed resources for this topic can be found at the CTAA website, Conflict Management and De-escalation for Transit Drivers and Supervisors.

• Failsafe Point, Protecting Yourself and Your Customers, Part Two (YouTube)

Steve Martingano, Deputy Chief of Police, Denver RTD shares new law enforcement tools focused on empathy and giving frontline transit employees a voice. Deputy Chief discusses the need for “co-responders” before law enforcement responds. He talks about the need for a bus safety committee and why this is important for managing safety. Steve also shared links to Five Mental Health Training videos that will facilitate understanding and empathy within transit drivers. These are free training resources developed for transit.

• Affective Disorders
• Thought Disorders
• Developmental Disorders
• Suicide
• Trauma

• Innovations in Transit Working with Local Mental Health Officials (YouTube)

Dr. Marilyn Dillon is the Mobility Management Administrator/ADA Coordinator for EMBARK, Oklahoma City. In this podcast episode Dr. Dillon explains the importance of trauma-informed training along with empathy training to provide transit frontline employees tools to work with people who could be experiencing crisis. The Climb Ride program at EMBARK has a great track record of providing transit trips to formerly incarcerated parents who are trying to reunite with their children, currently in foster care. Many of those individuals have experienced trauma and react negatively in stressful situations. Through training, drivers have a better understanding of how to respond empathetically for a safe and respectful outcome. Hear one of those success stories.

• How Does Understanding Trauma Factor into Safety for Transit Employees? (YouTube)

Kendra McGeady, Director of Pelivan Transit, a rural and tribal transit system that serves 4466 square miles in eastern Oklahoma, is featured in this episode. Kendra shares two stories of driver assault that have been experienced within her system. What can management do to support a driver, post-traumatic event? What training, protocols and equipment are needed to keep drivers safe, whether the assault is physical or verbal?

• Assault Really Does Happen in a Rural and Tribal Transit Community (YouTube)

This episode features Charlotte DiBartolomeo, President and CEO, Red Kite Project. In part one, Charlotte explains the role transit drivers play as human service professionals and the need to make connections between the transit community and community resources so that drivers know they are being heard when they need help the most. She provides practical ways to help build skills and change attitudes, so the power struggles are minimized between drivers and passengers.

• Making Community Connections for Safer Communities, Part One (YouTube)

Charlotte DiBartolomeo, President and CEO, Red Kite Project helps drivers understand their job is more than transactional but is a way to serve the community through measured, empathetic responses. She reveals the need and practical tips for management to create a system-wide, multilayered approach that is non-threatening towards the driver, so that the driver knows those they work with have their back.

• Making Community Connections for Safer Communities, Part Two (YouTube)

Daniel Gutierrez, Bus Operator Two for Atomic City Transit, Los Alamos County, N.M., shares his experience with an abusive customer and what he did to handle the situation with dignity and respect. Key tips from Daniel, driver to driver include: 1) Take the training seriously 2) Learn the agency’s policies 3) Keep a positive, respectful attitude 4) Get to know your customers 5) Don’t let anyone drive you to act irrationally – they are only words. You can walk away.

• A Bus Driver’s Perspective on the Right Response to an Explosive Situation (YouTube)