celebrating 30 years of transportation service to people of Sheridan with a mini-bus fleet of ten, which includes six vehicles with ramps. Today, the mini-buses provide a “dial-a-ride” door-to-door service. Daily and weekly scheduled routes serve the Sheridan County communities of Sheridan, Ranchester, Dayton, Big Horn, Story, and Banner. Weekly trips are also made for doctors’ appointments in Buffalo, Casper, and Billings for those patrons needing specialized care not available in Sheridan.
     We are very blessed to have mini-bus drivers, a dispatcher, and other staff who work to give back to their community, not just to make a living. It makes all the difference to the people we serve to have staff who truly cares about them.
     The mini-bus system continues to grow in Sheridan County. In 1999, a 22 percent increase was projected by 2004. By providing 49,340 rides last fiscal year, that projection is right on schedule.

     CATC Supervisor and WYTRANS Trainer Faye Nash came to Diversified Services, Inc. to conduct a PASS Training session, April 3-5, 2003. Faye did an excellent job of presenting the PASS material using many real-life situations, hands-on tools, and role-playing techniques to teach the class, which made it fun and exciting. It is easy to see the passion that Faye has for customer service and safe driving.
     The material presented was informative and dealt with real-life situations. It is apparent that Faye is a people-person and loves to meet new people. I get the feeling from Faye that no one is a stranger in her life for long. An instructor with high-energy, it is obvious she believes in her cause. What better cause but to try to be friendly and courteous and, above all, save lives.
     Faye is a wonderful trainer and will go far with her training. It is my hope to present the material as plainly and as well as Faye did for the drivers at Diversified Services, Inc.

     About a year ago, I asked Tom if he would mind becoming certified to teach PASS to our new drivers whom we hire every winter. He said sure, and arrangements were made to send him to Casper for the June 2002 conference where he attended the PASS Trainer Certification. On the way back from Casper, I asked him about becoming certified to teach First Aid and CPR. Tom had been certified in First Aid and CPR for nearly 20 years as a river guide, so he didn’t even hesitate to say he would. At that time, Tom didn’t realize how much work that would be.
     As we got closer to the beginning of our winter season, Tom’s stress level really began to rise, since we scheduled him to train First Aid and CPR before he was even certified to do so. He was having difficulty with the American Red Cross, which just couldn’t seem to get a class together. As the weeks went by and we got closer and closer to “crunch time,” Tom was beginning to think that he would never get to take the necessary classes to become certified. The Red Cross finally did get the course together and Tom spent several evenings and a weekend of his own time to become a certified First Aid and CPR Instructor.
     I knew that Tom would do well as a trainer. He has great patience and a sense of humor that makes sitting in his class enjoyable. But even I underestimated his abilities. Tom can really sense if a particular topic is sinking in. If he feels that everyone is not clear on the material, he takes the extra time to make sure everyone understands before moving on. Tom encourages class participation. He never makes a student feel uncomfortable, even if the student says something that is incorrect. Tom always finds something positive to say about a student’s contribution. Tom is always prepared for class with his handouts ready, the AV equipment set to work properly, and his other training props ready to make the learning experience smooth and professional.
     Last December was Tom’s first effort at training for START and he did a great job. His class evaluations were extremely positive. Because of Tom’s reputation as a great trainer, he has been requested to provide First Aid and CPR training for the public- works crew and at least one float-trip operator this spring. He is now beginning to realize how much work training can be—and he loves it.