FEDERAL TRAINING REQUIREMENTS
Drug and Alcohol Training
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Charter Regulations (The revised FTA Charter Regulations, implemented in 2008, require training on FTA Charter Registration website, too.)
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Training The ADA requires that each fixed route or demand responsive service operator ensures that personnel are trained to proficiency, as appropriate, for their duties. This training is required so that personnel operate vehicles and equipment safely, assist passenger properly, and treat persons with disabilities who use the service in a respectful and courteous way, with appropriate attention to the differences among persons with disabilities. The DOT ADA regulations do not specify an acceptable course or frequency of training. The entity must establish appropriate standards for its particular operation. There is no requirement for recurrent or refresher training, but there is an obligation to ensure that each employee is proficient at all times. The training must be appropriate to the duties of each employee and must address both technical requirements and human relations. The reviewers should assess if the grantee is meeting its own standards, how it is monitoring performance to determine if personnel, contractors, subcontractors, subrecipients and lessees are "proficient," and what, if any, consequences result if these standards are not met.
Course Details to Meet ADA Requirement
Training Requirements (According to the FTA) Each employer shall establish an employee education and training program for all covered employees, including:
Education:
The education component shall distribute and display informational material and a community service hotline telephone number to every covered employee (if available).
Training:
Covered employees must receive at least 60 minutes of training on the effects and consequences of prohibited drug use on personal health, safety, and the work environment, and on the signs and symptoms that may indicate prohibited drug use.
Supervisors and/or other company officers authorized by the employer to make reasonable suspicion determinations shall receive at least 60 minutes of training on the physical, behavioral, and performance indicators of probable drug use and at least 60 minutes of training on the physical, behavioral, speech, and performance indicators of probable alcohol misuse.
NEW YORK STATE TRAINING REQUIREMENTS
Emergency and Accident Procedures :
The New York State Public Transportation Safety Board (NYS PTSB) requires: The system safety program plan for each state-funded public transportation bus system or service shall state that such service or system shall have at least one staff person certified in a comprehensive accident investigation training program approved by the Safety Board. A list of approved training programs shall be issued by the Executive Director within 60 days of the effective date of this provision and shall be updated from time to time as appropriate.
This requirement is supported by the NYS PTSB's Bus Accident Investigation Training for Identifying Safety Hazards (BAITFISH) program, which offers certified training in each of the topics required by regulation.
