Cherriots Buses Find New Purpose In Public Safety Education (Photo) - 01/02/26

Salem, OR – January 2, 2026 – On October 23, 2025, the Cherriots Board of Directors approved the donation of three retired buses to the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST), helping support training for Oregon’s next generation of public safety professionals. On December 30, 2025, the buses were delivered to DPSST headquarters at the Oregon Public Safety Academy on Aumsville Highway in Salem.

DPSST is the State’s training and certification agency for law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other public safety personnel. Each year, the agency trains approximately 1,500 basic police, corrections, and parole and probation students at the academy. The donated 2008 Gillig buses will be used as stationary training props for a wide range of exercises, including de-escalation, communication, and confined-space scenarios.

“These buses have served our riders and community for many years,” said Tom Dietz, Cherriots Chief Operations Officer. “By donating them to DPSST, we’re giving them a new role in service to public safety and supporting the training of officers and first responders who protect our communities every day.”

DPSST currently uses a collection of retired transit and school buses as part of its hands-on training facilities. The donated Cherriots buses will replace older props that have reached the end of their useful life. While these vehicles will no longer be driven, they play a vital role in helping trainees gain realistic, situational experience before entering the field.

“These buses provide realistic environments that add valuable context to scenario-based training exercises,” said DPSST Director Phil Castle. “We are grateful for Cherriots support of DPSST and Oregon’s public safety professionals.”

“This is a great example of how local and state agencies can work together to benefit Oregonians,” said Maria Hinojos Pressey, Cherriots Board President. “We’re proud that these vehicles will continue to make a difference by helping prepare Oregon’s public safety professionals.”

The Federal Transit Administration approved the donation in lieu of scrapping the vehicles, which would have otherwise been sold at auction for a nominal amount.