When school starts in September, all 58 Monroe Public Schools buses will be equipped with the latest state-of-the-art on-board safety and security system as a significant upgrade to the camera system which has been in use on MPS buses for the last eight years.

     The purchase was approved Tuesday night, July 26, by the Monroe Public Schools Board of Education.  The lowest bidder was 247 Security Inc. of Alpharetta, Ga. with a bid of $102,991. 

     ”The camera system we have has been good but it is out of warranty and replacement parts are no longer available.  Plus, in the years since we bought the original system, technology has evolved significantly and greater functionality and picture clarity is now available,” said Jerry Oley, Director of Operations for Monroe Public Schools. 

     The new system will provide four cameras per bus – one camera aimed forward to view the front of the bus and oncoming traffic, cameras at the front, middle, and back inside the bus for a complete view of the passenger compartment.  The system also comes with GPS (global positioning system) so as the recorded video is viewed, it is possible to determine the bus location at any time.  The system also has a feature recording the vehicle speed to coincide with the image on the screen.

     Bus video is downloaded wirelessly from the new system. This is considerably easier than the existing system where a recording device had to be physically removed and plugged into a computer to be viewed.

     When it purchased its first bus safety and security system eight years ago, Monroe Public Schools was the first local district to have one.  Mr. Oley said that 247 Security provided the first system.  To appreciate how much the technology has evolved, when the first 44 camera system was purchased eight years ago, the cost was $40,000 more than the bid awarded Tuesday night and did not include installation.  The bid for the upgraded equipment included removal of the current system and  installation of the new. 

     Four companies from around the U.S. and Canada bid to provide the new system on the Monroe Public Schools buses.  Mr. Oley credited Transportation Director Frank Henry with doing a thorough search across North America to find qualified companies to bid. Buses