Edinburg school bus driver commended for leading students to safety

EDINBURG — Hernan De La Rosa said he stayed “cool, calm and collected” when he began to see smoke and flames pop out from under the hood of the school bus he was driving the morning of Dec. 17.

De La Rosa, who has been driving a school bus for the Edinburg school district for at least the past three years, was pulling into Cavazos Elementary School to drop off about 30 students when he noticed smoke, then flames coming from under the hood.

The driver stopped the vehicle about 200-300 feet away from the school, grabbed his fire extinguisher and exited the bus.

He tried to put out the fire, but when he saw the flames were not subsiding, he re-entered the bus and evacuated the children from the vehicle. A custodian who was outside at the time then led the children to the school building.

“My greater responsibility (is) the safety of the students,” De La Rosa said. “We have valuable cargo. What’s more expensive than life?”

De La Rosa checked the vehicle to see if anyone was left behind. When he saw all the children were gone, he grabbed his fire extinguisher again and exited the vehicle. He sprayed the fire with the extinguisher but couldn’t put it out.

He re-entered the bus and called 9-1-1 and the district’s transportation department to let them know the bus was on fire.

Earlier this year, De La Rosa received a commendation from the district’s school board, as well as thanks, hugs, gift baskets and praise from students and parents.

De La Rosa, 59, said he was just doing his job and credits keeping the children safe to the training he received from the district and as a firefighter years ago.

“I don’t think I did any less or any more than what is required of any employee,” De La Rosa said. “I know I did the best I could at the time.”

All Edinburg school bus drivers undergo training on how to handle emergency situations like the one De La Rosa experienced, said Rodolfo Zamora, the district’s director of transportation.

“He reacted in a good manner,” Zamora said. “He saved the lives of the kids.”

The cause of the bus fire remains under investigation, but preliminary findings indicate damaged or faulty wiring could have contributed to the blaze, Zamora said.

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Jennifer L. Berghom covers education and general assignments for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4462.