First Student’s Alternative Transportation Division Unveils Cutting-Edge Safety and Technology Advancements for Students Amid Surging Growth

First Student, the trusted leader in school transportation for millions of families, announced today the latest advancements in safety and technology within its alternative transportation division, FirstAlt®. FirstAlt is unveiling these innovations at the Transporting Students with Disabilities Conference (TSD) in Frisco, Texas.

In taking these steps, First Student is setting a new standard for reliable and safe transportation solutions for both districts and students across the country. First Student launched FirstAlt at TSD in 2022. In that time, it has grown exponentially, providing vulnerable students with reliable, safe rides to and from school. Since its TSD debut in 2022, FirstAlt is:

• Partnering with more than 100 school districts.
• Actively operating in 16 states.
• Introducing the FirstView Parent App.
• Equipping vehicles with high-definition dash cameras with advanced safety technology.

The FirstView® Parent App: Real-Time Visibility for Parents and Districts
Families and districts using FirstAlt now benefit from the FirstView parent app. With FirstView, parents and districts have a real-time view of their student’s trip events, including their student’s location, arrival/departure alerts, trip status and a view of their student’s upcoming schedules and driver/vehicle information. More than 12,000 schools currently leverage FirstView to track their bus routes and push communications to the more than 571,000 families who have downloaded the app.

Advanced Dash Cams: Raising the Bar for Student Safety
FirstAlt’s commitment to safety and innovation takes a leap forward with the integration of Samsara dash cams for its alternative vehicle fleet. These advanced cameras provide real-time incident monitoring and capture detailed footage, ensuring that every trip is recorded for enhanced safety and accountability. The technology not only supports immediate responses to any incidents, but also offers valuable insights to help continually improve transportation services. By utilizing Samsara’s cutting-edge dash cam technology, FirstAlt is setting new standards in student safety, bringing peace of mind to families and school districts while driving innovation in transporting students with special transportation needs.

“Our commitment to safety and innovation is unwavering, that’s why we are proud to provide schools, students and their families advanced technologies to support all students, regardless of vehicle type,” said Gregg Prettyman, vice president of FirstAlt. “We launched FirstAlt at TSD two years ago and, in that short amount of time, we have proved that districts are looking for an all-in-one transportation solution that combines reliable transportation with rigorous safety and cutting-edge technology. The results have been inspiring, and we intend to keep advancing the transportation experience for all students.”

FirstAlt will have a booth at the 2024 TSD beginning Sunday, November 10.

About First Student FirstAlt
As North America’s leading school transportation solutions provider, First Student strives to provide unmatched care and the safest ride to school to 5.5 million students daily. With a team of highly trained drivers, the company will complete one billion student trips during the 2024-25 school year. First Student delivers reliable, quality services, including full-service transportation and management, special-needs transportation, fleet electrification, route optimization, scheduling, maintenance, and charter services. Its fleet includes about 45,000 buses.

About FirstAlt
FirstAlt utilizes a fleet of small capacity vehicles from existing local transportation companies that are expertly operated and maintained, giving school districts flexibility in their transportation program, reducing costs, and freeing up resources for higher-capacity trips. FirstAlt takes advantage of First Student’s rigorous driver background checks, training and technology tools.

Media Contact:
Jen Biddinger, First Student, 513.362.4600

SOURCE First Student