Daily Herald
June 17, 2001
The 1995 train-bus crash in Fox River Grove that claimed the lives of seven Cary-Grove High School students still haunts Cary firefighter Gene Higby to this day. He says it is the first thing that comes to mind every time the fire station receives a call involving a bus. “That was one of the saddest days in our lives,” he said.
On Saturday, Higby organized a special bus accident training session for area firefighters. Firefighters from Cary, Fox River Grove, and Nunda Township gathered at the Cary Fire Station 2 near Deer Path Elementary School, where a firefighter from the Chicago Fire Department taught participants how to dismantle a bus during an evacuation.
According to Higby, Saturday’s exercise was the first time the participating Cary firefighters learned how to take apart a bus. Many have gone through the same process with cars, but never buses, he said. “We wanted a chance to see how this would work for us before we had to do it,” he said.
During the training, the firefighters learned how to use the appropriate tools and techniques to enter a bus and cut through the metal siding and remove windows and seats to open up as much space to work as possible.
They also learned how to approach a bus that was either standing or on its side.
By the end of the day, the bus–which was donated by Cary Elementary District 26–was ripped apart with shattered glass and seat cushions piled up outside.
One side of the entire bus was extracted.
In addition to the firefighters, Saturday’s training attracted a few spectators like Patti Boni and Trudy Stephens, both from Cary. Rather than experiencing any difficult memories of the 1995 accident, both women were encouraged to see the firefighters engaged in such training. “I’m glad they are doing this,” Boni said. “Because, heaven forbid, if this happens again, they are prepared.”
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