Train Virginia School Bus Drivers to Administer Epinephrine in an Emergency

My son who is 5 has a life threatening peanut and egg allergy. At this moment he is unable to ride the bus with his friends and peers because the school bus drivers in Virginia Beach, VA are not required to be trained in administering epinephrine (epi-pen) (or any other type of first aid training.)

The policy at the school is that in the case of a life threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) the bus driver would pull over and radio for 911 and wait for them to come and administer. The issue is that time is of the essence when it comes to administering an epi-pen. Unfortunately the child would not make it if they had to wait for emergency services. The epi-pen needs to given immediately. There is also a chance that a child with no known allergies could have an anaphylactic reaction and be in need of this life saving medicine.

If I were to win my appeal with the school board all bus drivers in Virginia Beach and hopefully surrounding counties would provide mandatory training in anaphylaxis and in administering life saving medications.

I would also like the drivers to be trained in basic first aid and cpr. They do have our children's lives in their hands for a portion of the day. The school is required to train all staff on anaphylaxis and using the epi-pen. If it is important enough to have the school staff trained why not the bus?