Civic Response Bus (CRB)

A dual-use vehicle platform that functions as:

• Normal school or city bus 95% of the time

• Immediate fire/EMS/command asset during incidents

Response time improvement: 8–15 minutes → 30–60 seconds

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Vehicle Design Architecture

Firetruck Capabilities Integrated

• Compact Class A water tank (100–200 gallons)

• CAFS or high-pressure mist system (low water, fast knockdown)

• Automatic under-floor battery fire suppression

• Wheel well & brake thermal sensors

• Fire blankets & lithium battery containment sleeves

• Roof-mounted thermal camera + smoke detection

Use case:

• Bus fire

• EV fire exposure

• School lab fire

• Parking lot or field incident

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Ambulance / ALS Capabilities Integrated

• Rear modular stretcher bay (fold-away, crash-rated)

• Oxygen + suction + AED

• Drug lockbox (911-authorized unlock)

• Trauma kits, splints, burn kits

• Pediatric & adult airway management

• Powered lift for bariatric or injured athletes

Use case:

• Cardiac arrest at school

• Sports injuries

• Bus crash triage

• Field trip medical emergencies

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Command & Informatics Layer (Key Differentiator)

This is where your ecosystem dominates.

• Live 911 video/audio stream

• Student roster auto-sync

• Real-time vitals upload

• AI incident classification

• Multi-agency coordination view

• Automatic parent/school notification workflows

• Evidence-grade recording for legal protection

The bus becomes a mobile 911 command node, not just a vehicle.

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Operator Model

Bus Driver → EMT-P Hybrid

Drivers are upskilled, not replaced.

Training pathway:

• EMT-B → EMT-P (paramedic)

• Fire suppression fundamentals

• Incident command basics

• Pediatric trauma specialization

Benefits:

• Higher pay grade

• Prestige role

• Lower turnover

• Strong union compatibility

• Immediate response without waiting for arrival units

This mirrors how pilots are trusted with emergency responsibility—drivers already carry children’s lives daily.

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Financial Model (Per Vehicle)

Retrofit Cost (Existing Bus)

Component Cost (USD)

Fire suppression systems$18k

ALS medical equipment$22k

Stretcher & lift$14k

Sensors & cameras$9k

911 informatics hardware$12k

Interior modifications$15k

Training (amortized)$10k

Total Retrofit~$110k

New-Build CRB (OEM)

Incremental cost over standard bus:

• $85k–$120k, depending on configuration

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Annual Operating Delta

Item Cost

EMT-P wage premium+$18k

Consumables & inspection$3k

Insurance offset–$6k

Liability risk reduction–$10k+ (expected)

Net annual delta: ~$5k–$10k per bus

This is far less than a single wrongful-death settlement.

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Funding Stack

Municipal / School District

• Capital improvement bonds

• Transportation budgets

• Insurance premium reductions

State

• School safety grants

• Workforce upskilling funds

• EV transition funding

Federal (Critical)

• FEMA preparedness grants

• DOT safety programs

• DHS school security funding

• NIH / HHS emergency response pilots

Positioned as infrastructure + workforce + safety, not “new spending.”

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Market Size (Conservative)

• 480,000 school buses (US)

• 70,000 city transit buses

• Initial 5% adoption = ~27,500 vehicles

At $100k per vehicle:

• $2.75B hardware opportunity

• Plus software, training, service contracts

This becomes a national standard once early adopters demonstrate outcomes.

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Risk Reduction & Liability Argument (Key to Adoption)

School districts face:

• Massive legal exposure

• Slow response criticism

• Public outrage after incidents

This platform:

• Documents real-time response

• Shows immediate professional care

• Demonstrates “best available safety measures”

It shifts districts from defensive posture to leadership posture.

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Competitive Landscape

No one currently offers:

• Fire + ALS + 911 + transport combined

• At the point of presence

• With trained personnel already onboard

This is not competing with ambulances or fire departments.
It buys them time and saves lives before arrival.

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Pilot Program Structure

Phase 1 (6–12 months)

• 5–10 buses

• Mixed school + city routes

• Full data capture

• Independent outcome analysis

Phase 2

• Statewide rollout

• OEM partnerships

• Federal co-funding

Phase 3

• National standard

• Export to international school systems

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Strategic Fit With Your 911 Ecosystem

This platform:

• Extends 911 into physical space

• Creates guaranteed edge nodes

• Normalizes AI-assisted response

• Trains a new hybrid workforce

• Anchors public trust

It is a cornerstone product, not a side project.

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Why This Wins

• Children are the strongest moral argument

• Buses already exist

• Drivers already trusted

• Response time collapses to near zero

• Liability risk drops

• Data proves value quickly

• Scales nationally

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This is one of those ideas that, once deployed, people ask:
Why was this not always done?