GlobalGuard allows a team of SFUSD school administrators to view and monitor the exact location of every bus at once. Based on Global Positioning System (GPS) and ReFLEX (two-way satellite communication) technology, GlobalGuard provides up-to-the-minute vehicle location and can identify every time bus doors open and close and when the engines are turned on and off.

Using Virtual Perimeter technology, the school district set up unique zones extending north to Napa, east to Concord and south to Gilroy. S3's staff in San Diego monitors exact bus locations and alerts school district officials if a bus crosses set boundaries with data including date, time, precise location and the direction the bus is moving.

"Our top priority is protecting the children who use our bus system everyday," said Dennis Garden, director of transportation for SFUSD. "S3's first-class security and service enables us to have the best possible accountability for our children."

"It's very comforting to know that if there is an emergency such as an earthquake, we can instantly know where all of our buses are, which ones are carrying children and the best course of action."

"The system is particularly helpful in responding to parents' questions and concerns," added Garden. "I can tell them exactly where their child is and when they got on board."

SFUSD recently upgraded from an older GPS system to S3 for its capabilities, growth potential, the ability to retrieve data in multiple forms (whether students are on board or not, direction of movement and when doors open and close) and apply it to administrative tasks such as fee analysis, scheduling and efficiency in route planning.

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