EAST CHICAGO | Teams of Indiana state troopers and heavy truck inspectors began conducting state-mandated school bus inspections this week, eyeing local buses Wednesday in East Chicago.

Indiana State Police conduct the inspections every summer, checking almost 15,000 school buses across the state for potential safety hazards. The state police Lowell district inspection team is responsible for more than 2,000 school buses in Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Jasper, Newton, Pulaski and Starke counties.

Seven inspectors were at the East Chicago school bus barn off Cline Avenue on Wednesday morning inspecting buses from East Chicago, Highland Christian School, School Town of Highland and RSI, which contracts with a variety of local schools including Andrean High School.

Jim Burkhart, state police master trooper and commercial vehicle enforcement officer, said the inspections will continue weekdays through mid-August.

"We look for anything that could harm a child," Burkhart said. "Before 1996, we used to see more violations."

However, he said school districts are doing a better job of conducting regular maintenance, and some bus companies that have exhibited problems in the past are no longer in business.

"We don't have any districts with reoccurring problems right now," he said.

The presence of first aid kits and fire extinguishers and the condition of the seats in the buses are included as part of the inspection.

Highland school bus driver Yvonne Turnquist said she believes everything state police and her transportation department do to keep buses safe is important.

"I've been a bus driver in Highland almost two years," she said Wednesday as inspectors swarmed her bus. "I think this is a very good thing. It's necessary."