THE Public School System’s Office of Pupil Transportation personnel completed a two-day training that aimed to help them safely handle crisis situations in the workplace.
“The two-day training taught participants intervention strategies to recognize and manage crisis behaviors they may encounter in the workplace,” PSS Transportation Director Shawn San Nicolas said.
The training was held on Jan. 3-4, 2022 at the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan, and the participants were Saipan, Tinian and Rota public school bus drivers, conductors, mechanics and office staff.
The trainers, who also underwent training on non-violent crisis intervention, were San Vicente Elementary School Principal Paulette Tomokane, PSS Family and Community Engagement Director Liela Yumul, Rota Local Education Agency/Project HALIGI Community Project Manager Marvin Tamangided, special education teacher Jessica Mendez, and Office of Pupil Transportation Director San Nicolas.
The training highlighted staging real-life situations to provide personnel with appropriate skills that safely identify and handle workplace crisis situations.
The Office of Pupil Transportation or OPT serves around 5,000 elementary, middle, high school, and special education students on Saipan, Tinian and Rota.
“The participants in this training — PSS bus drivers and OPT staff — simulated scenarios that taught them how to keep our public school students safe from any danger and or untoward incidents,” Commissioner of Education Dr. Alfred B. Ada said.
The training also taught participants how to recognize and manage crisis behaviors. They likewise learned intervention strategies to prevent a crisis from escalating, avoid overreacting or underreacting, and de-escalate a crisis.
Public School System’s Office of Pupil Transportation personnel reenact on stage a real-life crisis scenario as PSS Family and Community Engagement Director Liela Yumul, center, observes them.
Strategies and techniques are applied by training participants.
Rota Local Educational Agency/Project HALIGI AWARE’s Marvin Tamangided is one of the trainers.
On stage, three Office of Pupil Transportation personnel will act out a real life challenge as part of their training.
Office of Pupil Transportation personnel learn how to work with each other in handling a crisis.
The trainers, from left: San Vicente Elementary School Principal Paulette Tomokane, special education teacher Jessica Mendez, and Family and Community Engagement Director Liela Yumul.
Transportation Director Shawn San Nicolas delivers his remarks.
Office of Pupil Transportation personnel listen to a presentation.
A Rota’s Office of Pupil Transportation staff member shares his thoughts.
Participants engage in a discussion during the training at the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan.
