SOP-07 Emergency Response On-Road · TBS Driver Resource Hub

1 Quick reference card

This quick reference card is the short version of this SOP. It is one page of the Quick Reference Handbook, the ring of cards in the cab. If you only have 30 seconds, use the card. The full procedure starts below.

🚨

SOP-07 Quick reference

Emergency Response
On-Road

First actions in an emergency

Side A

Every Emergency – First 5 Actions

1Stop safely. Hazard lights on. Fire or fuel? Engine off – never open the engine bay.
2Protect people. Keep passengers safe – evacuate only if staying is more dangerous.
3Call 000 for fire, injury, or danger to life.
4Notify Operations as soon as you can.
5Follow directions from emergency services when they arrive.
6Breakdown: stop safely, contact Operations first; seatbelt off, then log it in Mitti. Stay with the bus.

Fire or smoke

Stop, engine off, evacuate at least 50 m upwind, call 000. Never enter a tunnel with fire, smoke or a fault – already inside? Drive out first if you can. Extinguisher: tiny fire, trained, exit clear – one go, then out. NEVER open the engine bay. NEVER re-enter the bus.

Floodwater

Never drive through floodwater. Turn around, notify Operations, follow their diversion.

Animal on the road

Brake firmly in a straight line. Never swerve dangerously – passengers come first. Strike? Stop when safe, notify Operations.

🚨

SOP-07 Quick reference

Emergency Response
On-Road

Rules, checklist & contacts

Side B

Key Rules & Thresholds

Life in danger

Call 000

Fire, serious injury, or any danger to life: 000 first.

Bus fire

Evacuate

Away and upwind. Never re-enter the vehicle.

Extinguisher

Small Fire Only

Only if trained and safe. Never open the engine bay.

Floodwater

Never Enter

If it’s flooded, forget it. Follow the diversion Operations give you.

Evacuating the Bus

Stop clear of traffic and hazards
Calm, clear instructions to passengers
Use the safest exit – front, rear or emergency exits
Help mobility-impaired passengers first if safe
Move everyone at least 50 m clear, upwind
Count passengers. Tell 000 if anyone is missing
Never re-enter the vehicle

Contacts

Emergency000

Operations07 3733 3599

2 Purpose

This SOP tells you what to do in the first minutes of an on-road emergency, before help arrives.

3 Applies To

All drivers on TBS services – TBS employees and contracted drivers alike (not the drivers of self-managed operators, who follow their own procedures) – for any emergency during service: fire, medical emergency, serious crash, hazardous spill, severe weather, breakdown. Steps marked Supervisor are performed by Operations.

4 Scenarios – Trigger → Action

In every emergency the first actions are the same: stop safely, protect people, call 000 if there is fire, serious injury or danger to life, then notify Operations. Then follow the matching scenario.

AFire or Smoke on the Bus BMedical Emergency on Board CSerious Crash DFuel Leak or Hazardous Spill ESevere Weather or Flooded Road FAn Animal on the Road / Wildlife Strike GMechanical Breakdown After Any Emergency

Scenario A – Fire or Smoke on the Bus

1
Driver Stop immediately in the safest place available. Hazard lights on. Engine off. Tiny fire (smaller than a bin), you are trained, the exit is clear and the extinguisher is within reach? One attempt, then get out. Otherwise: everyone out now.

A burning bus never enters a tunnel

Fire, smoke or a developing fault approaching a tunnel: stop before the portal and evacuate at least 50 m upwind. Already inside? Drive out if at all possible before stopping.

2
Driver Evacuate everyone – at least 50 metres from the bus, upwind of smoke. Help mobility-impaired passengers first if safe.

3
Driver Call 000. Say: bus fire, location, passenger count, injuries.

Never open the engine bay

Smoke or heat from the engine bay? Leave the hatch shut – opening it feeds the fire air and puts you in the flames. Engine off, everyone out, take the front extinguisher with you as you go, and let the fire brigade open it.

Never re-enter

Once you are out, nobody goes back in – not for bags, not for anything. Bus fires grow fast and produce toxic smoke.

4
Driver Count passengers. Tell 000 immediately if anyone is unaccounted for.
5
Driver Notify Operations.

Scenario B – Medical Emergency on Board

6
Driver Stop safely as soon as possible.
7
Driver Call 000 for anything serious: chest pain, unconsciousness, seizure, severe bleeding, difficulty breathing.
8
Driver Give first aid only within your training. Follow instructions from the 000 operator.
9
Driver Keep other passengers calm and give the patient space.
10
Driver Notify Operations – they will sort out a replacement bus and the other passengers.

Scenario C – Serious Crash

11
Driver Follow SOP-06 Scenario A (make safe, 000, first aid, Operations, scene, details) – continue in SOP-06 · Collision or Injury
12
Driver Evacuate only if the bus position is unsafe – on live lanes, at risk of fire, or unstable. Otherwise passengers are often safest seated.

Traffic is the second danger

After a crash, passing traffic causes many injuries. Keep everyone clear of live lanes and behind barriers where possible.

Scenario D – Fuel Leak or Hazardous Spill

13
Driver Stop clear of the spill. Engine off. No smoking, no ignition sources.
14
Driver Move people away – uphill and upwind.
15
Driver Call 000 if the spill is large, spreading, or near drains or traffic. Then notify Operations.
16
Driver Do not touch or attempt clean-up unless you are trained and equipped. Never wash a spill into a drain.

Scenario E – Severe Weather or Flooded Road

17
Driver Never drive through floodwater. Depth and current are impossible to judge from the seat.

18
Driver Stop or divert. Notify Operations and follow their diversion instructions.
19
Driver In destructive wind or hail: stop away from trees and powerlines, keep passengers on board unless the position is unsafe.
20
Supervisor Coordinate diversions, replacement services and emergency service liaison. Log the event in the Operations Management (OM) system.

Scenario F – An Animal on the Road / Wildlife Strike

21
Driver Brake firmly in a straight line. Never swerve dangerously to avoid an animal – a swerve at speed endangers everyone on board.
22
Driver After a strike: stop when it is safe to do so. Check passengers, then check the vehicle for damage and report it in Mitti as a Defect (SOP-11).
23
Driver Do not approach a large or distressed injured animal. Note the location and notify Operations – they contact wildlife rescue.
24
Driver Report the strike in Mitti as an Incident Report (SOP-06). In known wildlife areas: slow down and watch the verges at dawn and dusk, and follow the wildlife warning signs.

People before animals – always

Protecting native wildlife matters to TBS, but never at the cost of passenger safety. Brake, don’t swerve.

Scenario G – Mechanical Breakdown

25
Driver Stop safely. Hazard lights on. On a busway or live traffic lane: get passengers to a safe place away from traffic.
26
Driver Contact Operations first – radio or phone, whichever is quicker. Tell them where you are, whether passengers are on board, and whether the bus is safe to work on where it stands.

27
Driver Then – parked, park brake on, seatbelt off – log it in Mitti as a Breakdown, or Operations log it from your call. The call always comes first.
28
Driver Stepping off the bus – to put out the warning triangles, or for any other reason? Engine off, key with you, every time. Passengers stay seated; you stay where you can see the door.
29
Driver Stay with the bus and keep passengers informed. Operations keep you updated – repair, replacement bus or tow is their call, not yours. You will get a Mitti notification when the bus is back in service.
30
Driver Running more than 15 minutes late because of the breakdown? That is an incident in its own right: Operations log it from your call, or you add it to your Mitti report. Operations tell the school or the customers – not you.

Call first, app second

Broken down with passengers? Call Operations before you touch the app. Fire, smoke or a fault getting worse: Scenario A – and never enter a tunnel.

After Any Emergency

31
Driver Complete the Incident Report in Mitti before end of shift – SOP-06.
32
Driver Debrief with your supervisor. Support is available if the event affected you – SOP-13 · Abuse, Harassment or Stress
33
Driver If the media approach you: say “I’m not in a position to comment” and refer them to Operations on 07 3733 3599. Never comment, speculate, or share footage.

5 Associated Forms & Tools

Item	What it is used for
Fire extinguisher	Small fires only, trained only, safe only. Location confirmed at the PTI.
First aid kit	On every vehicle – sealed. Within your training only.
Radio / Ops line	Notify Operations in every emergency. Breakdown: call first, then log it.
Breakdown (Mitti)	Log it after you have called Operations – or Operations log it from your call.
Incident Report (Mitti)	After the emergency, before end of shift.

Where do I find these forms?SOP-14 · The Forms and Reports – Your Shift, Start to Finish

6 Related SOPs

SOP	Title	Why it matters here
SOP-06	Incident, Accident & Hazard Reporting	The reporting that follows every emergency.
SOP-08	Security & Counter-Terrorism	Suspicious items, threats and security incidents.
SOP-13	Health, Welfare & Returning to Work	Support after a distressing event.

7 Related Policies

These TBS policies are the source of this SOP. They carry the full rules and the legal detail.

Policy	What it covers
TBS Emergency Preparedness Policy	Emergency procedures, equipment, training and drills.
TBS Dangerous Goods & Hazardous Substances Policy	Spill response, ignition control, environmental protection.
TBS Provision of First Aid Policy	First aid scope and equipment.
TBS Counter-Terrorism & Security Policy	Security incidents (see SOP-08).
TBS Flora & Fauna Policy	Wildlife-safe response: strike procedure, injured-wildlife reporting, hotspot vigilance.

§ Version Control

Version	Date	Author	Approved by	Summary of changes
1.0	8 September 2026	Buswise	TBS approved	First issue.

Driver acknowledgement of this SOP is recorded in Mitti: the combined SOP document (SOP-01 to SOP-14) is acknowledged once, at onboarding, in Mitti Training.