Secret Service tradition comes under scrutiny

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A little known Secret Service tradition is coming under scrutiny. That's after a New York Times article revealed volunteers with little or no emergency training are driving some of those cars in the presidential motorcade. ABC7 News spoke to one of those volunteers.

These volunteers are driving the vehicles in the back of the motorcade, driving either White House staffers or the White House press corps. Still, there's concern that these untrained drivers could get in the way during an emergency.

Scott Manke of Oakland got the volunteer gig of his life back in May. Through a friend with White House connections, Manke was selected to drive around the White House press corps during President Barack Obama's Bay Area visit, in a van several vehicles behind the Commander in Chief.

"It was super exciting to be able to drive in that motorcade and run stop lights and stop signs and go in this you know, crazy operation," Manke said.

But some are now questioning the decades-long practice. Volunteer drivers go through a background check and that's about it. No training, just a briefing the day of.

"I think the selection process for the drivers on the White House end is subpar. I think it's been subpar for a long time," former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino said.

The motorcade generally begins with local police who block intersections, followed by the Secret Service, then the presidential limos, followed by more Secret Service and White House staff vans. The press corps van is usually ahead of the ambulance and tail police.

The concern is that the untrained volunteer driver could cause an accident or a delay in an emergency.

Manke says he was surprised by how things were done, but in the end, everything worked out just fine.

"Everybody else who was on there were very stand-up people, very cognizant, very qualified to be doing what we were doing which was being glorified shuttle drivers," Manke said.

According to the New York Times, the Secret Service defends the practice saying that the volunteer drivers are briefed, and that the president and the agents can detach from the staff and press corps vans at any time.