Wednesday, October 9, 2013

A DESERVED RECOGNITION FOR BUS DRIVER NORMA MEDINA

By Juan Montoya
In the wake of the potentially lethal fire that engulfed a  Brownsville Independent School District bus carrying 29 Porter High School students last Friday, some commenters have credited the alert and quick-witted bus driver with leading the students out the rear to safety.
Bus driver Norma Medina, pictured here talking with police and firefighters just after the flames were extinguished, is said to have directed the students out the rear emergency door when she noticed flames and black smoke coming from in front of the bus. She quickly stopped the bus on the side of the northbound frontage road just before the intersection of E. 14th Street. She then led them across the street and had them stand in safety in the grassy spot below the highway overpass.
Firefighters, because of dispatchers underestimating the severity of the blaze and the No. 1 Station engine caught up in the traffic congestion on Palm Boulevard caused by a passing freight train on the tracks by the old Amigoland Mall, were unable to answer the call under the required five-minute time frame. Units from the Alice Road and Southmost stations got to the burning bus too late to save it.
At least one local business has seen fit to honor her deeds with a recognition. The Dairy Queen at Paredes and E. Price Road has placed "Our DQ Hero Norma Medina, Bus 528" on its marquee.
BISD Transportation Dirtector Art Rendon told El Rrun-Rrun that he was thinking of having Median recognized for her actions that day in a proclamation before the BISD board of trustees. Since the trustees meet only once a month now, it might be November before she comes before the board. However, DQ isn;t awaiting around until then. We don;t know how long the much-deserved accolades for Ms. Medina will remain on the DQ marquee, but we join in the salute to her acts and deeds that day. Good job, Norma!

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a fucked up boring town Brownsville must be to write about a bus fire. FUCK YOU!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

This woman, in her quick reactions, saved numerous children from harm. That IS WORTH WRITING ABOUT.
And I am certain the parents of these children would agree.

Anonymous said...

(a bus fire. FUCK YOU!!!!!!)

You forgot to sign it with DPM, pendejo!
IG.

Southmost kid said...

Norma medina, Great job, keep up the good work. sk

Anonymous said...

If you don't care about the students of this town F you & get the f*== out of here!

Anonymous said...

What about the other bus fire? Brownsville, we have a
problem, actually, we have a
million and one, but this particular
one involves spontaneous(?) fires
on school buses. Putting
children's lives at risk whether it be
through inaction or willful intent is
criminal.
Coincidence or calculated
cunning?

Anonymous said...

Trolls must lead such miserable lives. Put the howler monkey out of his misery.

Joaquin said...

How fucked up and boring must the anonymous poster above be to read a story he thinks is stupid then bother to post about it.

I'm glad everything worked out. That bus driver deserves recognition.

Anonymous said...

When training in Amigoland mall one must also train not to get trapped by the ever present threat of a train impeding traffic. Mexico blvd to Sam Perl avoids crossing rr tracks cause there is a bridge with the tracks. Should have been part of training. Piss poor planning leads to piss poor performance.

Anonymous said...

this person (driver)just did what she gets trained for and pay for....NO HERO as simple as that......

Anonymous said...

It is good that she didn't panic or otherwise freak out and I don't want to take anything away from Ms. Medina but since when did we lower the bar to where knowing to get yourself and your passengers out of a burning bus and to exit by the end that is not on fire is heroic?
These days in our society it seems that anybody who does the right thing is a hero. A kid who calls 911 when his mother goes into a diabetic coma is not a hero. Someone who risks life and limb to help another is a hero. An obvious example is the fire fighters who went into the second World Trade Center tower knowing it was likely to fall. They are HEROS, every last one of them. And there are many others. Ms. Medina did a good job but who would have expected less of her? In fact, I suspect that in many communities, if she had not done what she did and a child was injured she might face charges.

Anonymous said...

If "FUCK YOU!!!!!!" had a kid on that bus and that kid had been severely burned or died; then, would it had been a fucked up boring town story to write in Brownsville? Seems like "FUCK YOU!!!!!!" must be related to or works for the distributor or manufacture of the bus in question. Que pendejo!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

If you stop and see the photo the back door or exit of the bus was the only escape route available for her.
she ONLY acted on a natural instinct because there was no way she could exit the front door otherwise she would left behind the students.
AGAIN NO HERO HERE!!!!!

Joaquin said...

She did do the job she was trained for but still did a great job, you dunce.

Anonymous said...

She is a Hero, pinches envidiosos, amargados

Anonymous said...

Tiene Buena nalga la Normita

Anonymous said...

shit got to give her credit regardless ,a few Mexican crab assholes commenting typical,lucky it wasn't your kids dumbasses! GOOD JOB BUS DRIVER GOOD JOB.

Anonymous said...

Wow really jaded people can't recognize true bravery. It's shameful.

rita