Bus Hero Honored
Published: August 17, 2005
It was a dramatic fire and a dramatic rescue.
Today a Sioux Falls bus driver is being honored as a hero, for pulling people from a burning bus.
Laidlaw Transit Services Vice President Frank Ciccarella says, “this letter is to commend your actions of July 29th, while loading passengers in front of a care facility, a passenger alerted you to smoke coming from the front of the bus.”
What happened in the next seven minutes saved the lives of five people. Scott Harkema first got help and then started evacuating passengers, but he’s not about to call himself a hero.
Scott Harkema says,”I just wanted to get the people off as fast as I could, that was all that was on my mind. I just knew what had to be done and I did it.”
Laidlaw Vice President Frank Ciccarella says, “You went back on the bus several times to evacuate the bus and its disabled passengers even though the flames and smoke were continuing to grow.”
With family and friends looking on, Harkema was given a watch and a company safety day named in his honor. His wife is proud to the point of tears
.
Michelle Harkema says, “It’s kind of how he is, it’s just like he knows what to do and just gets it done.”
Ciccarella says, “You took your passenger’s safety seriously… we have the best drivers in the business.”
Harkema hurt his back carrying passengers and it took a few days to steady his nerves enough to get back behind the wheel.
Scott Harkema says, “I actually went to that house this morning and picked up that same group again this morning and they’re all happy to see me, like it was no big deal.”
But it is a big deal, because the only thing that burned that Friday, was a piece of property, a city bus.
Michelle Harkema says, “I think that without Scott’s quick thinking that day, I think the outcome of that situation would have been drastically different.”
Investigators are still looking into the cause of the bus fire, but haven’t been able to pinpoint anything yet.
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