New York, NY – Sometimes a confluence of events can help prevent tragedy. And in Ijandor Manasey’s case, the most important part of the story is his calm in the face of danger, and more important, how his compassionate care of children prevented the worst from happening.
Manasey is a Bus Operator in Queens, New York, a member of ATU Local 1181, who has been on the job for over 30 years. He told LaborPress that his favorite part of the job is taking the kids to school because of its importance in their lives, he says he values the feeling “of being useful.” Years later, he says, they remember each other, and he fondly recalls one young man with whom he still keeps in touch, and who went to college, and now has a good job and a family. Manasey knows, although he would never say it, that he was a part of that success story.
Yet his involvement in their lives began much earlier. On Tuesday, May 23rd, 2023, Manasey was on his route in Rego Park, driving three students between the ages of 5-11, all of whom attend a private Yeshiva, taking them to the school where he would drop them off, when he says he noticed an odor of something burning, and immediately knew that it was coming from his bus.
He exclusively told LaborPress, that if there are only a small number of students, he makes sure they are seated at the very front of the bus, close to him, where, he says, he can keep a watch over them and make sure they are okay at all times.
Because of his extra care, when he became aware of the smell, he was able to spring into faster action. He “saw the smoke starting to come out,” and quickly shepherded the children off the bus, however, “the road was very narrow and very tight,” yet he managed to lead them safely onto a nearby sidewalk, where a local female from the neighborhood appeared and helped comfort the panicked, crying and traumatized young ones. “I showed them, along with a woman who lived on the block, that everything was okay.”
And they had good reason to cry. As huge plumes of smoke filled the air, a massive explosion rocked the area. Flames shot into the sky, so high and intense that nearby cars, parked and luckily uninhabited, were engulfed and gutted.
There had been 911 calls from others before Manasey’s, of course, busy as he was in his hero’s journey, and, he recounted, “Everyone came out. Every agency. Police, firemen, EMTs, I can’t even remember everyone, there were so many. It was a big commotion.”
Six units and 30 firefighters were needed to work to put out the fire, which may have been started in the engine of the bus, then grew, due to the diesel fuel in the tank. FDNY Battalion Chief Brian Hanrahan said extra hose lines were needed not only for battling the bus fire, which engulfed the entire bus, but to extinguish the blaze that spread to the cars and keep it from spreading to nearby apartment buildings. Hanrahan said the fire was four stories high.
When asked how he stayed so calm during this crisis, Manesy said, with humility, “I’ve been in this business for a quite some time. They give us classes every month, how to handle stuff like that. So if you stay calm, you’ll be able to help the children under your care.” He said nothing about his own personal attributes that may have been part of how he acted so effectively.
In the end, he says, reflecting on the event and his role in it, he says, “I was lucky. Sometimes you see things on the news, but you never expect it. But, when you see it’s real, and then it happens and the kids are okay, it’s a blessing, and you’re lucky. When you look back on your training, and you put it into practice, you feel you did the right thing, like you’re a good person.”
