Contact: James Carskadon

STARKVILLE, Miss.—The Oktibbeha County Emergency Management Agency has a new tool at its disposal after receiving a retired transit bus from Mississippi State University.

The bus, which for over 20 years provided transportation for MSU students and the Starkville community, will be converted into a mobile emergency management vehicle. MSU President Mark E. Keenum presented OCEMA Director Kristen Campanella with the keys on Friday [March 1].

“What we’re doing today is to support the emergency management agency and provide them an asset that I think will be very helpful in serving the needs of our community,” Keenum said. “This is another example of us working to support the citizens of our community, and that’s something that we take great pride in.”

The bus will expand OCEMA emergency response capabilities by providing a place where personnel can work outside of the elements and access communication equipment in the field. Campanella said that she plans to pursue grant funding to help turn the bus into an “emergency operations center on wheels.”

“I’m hoping we’ll be able to have the technology, wireless, internet and everything, so we won’t have to go back to the office to send anything,” Campanella said. “Everything can be self-sustained here. It will be a process, but this is a big part of it, and we’re very fortunate to have MSU here.”

The 1996 model bus was part of the original bus fleet acquired by MSU Parking and Transit Services. Until last year, MSU was still operating and maintaining four 1996 model buses. Parking and Transit Services Director Jeremiah Dumas said the long life of these buses shows the quality of care transit buses receive after they are purchased.

“When you look at the mission of Mississippi State, service is one of our key missions,” Dumas said. “Being able to provide a resource to the county that, at the end of the day, will be here to benefit us from the emergency management side, is a big part of what we can do to contribute, and we’re very glad to do it.”

In 2012, MSU partnered with the city of Starkville to expand the campus shuttle service into town, creating Starkville-MSU Area Rapid Transit, or SMART. Since then, the transit system has served millions of riders. SMART also runs a Paratransit service that provides rides for disabled and elderly citizens.

For more on SMART, visit www.smart.msstate.edu. 

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.