We have all heard about the potential ramifications of driving impaired, but nothing drives the message home quite like a live scenario that recreates a terrible crash and the chaos that ensues.
We have all heard about the potential ramifications of driving impaired, but nothing drives the message home quite like a live scenario that recreates a terrible crash and the chaos that ensues.
So for the second year in a row, local emergency responders again collaborated to show students at Sundre High School the very real possibility of what can happen when someone chooses to drive while intoxicated or distracted by an electronic device.
"With driving comes great responsibility," said Carrie Heffernan, a local paramedic who lives in Calgary but has been working in Sundre about four years.
On Friday, May 13, local RCMP, firefighters and paramedics staged the scene of a T-bone collision behind the high school with some student actors playing the roles of several victims, including a fatality, a suspect and a witness. Whenever emergency crews are called to a motor vehicle collision, police, EMS and firefighters work collectively as a team, said Heffernan.
"We have kind of a mock accident scene."
In this year's staged scenario, a victim was deceased at the scene, another was placed under arrest while a couple of others were treated as patients and a bystander was interviewed by police, she said.
The demonstration lasts about 45 minutes, and is followed by a presentation in the school that features a slideshow of photos from real collisions, statistics on impaired and distracted driving, as well as some guest speakers who share personal stories of heartache caused by someone's decision to drive drunk, she said.
"The part that touches home for people and gets them kind of thinking is we have some victim statements. For me, that's the most powerful part of the presentation."
Youth, and people generally speaking, might not be as quick to register cold, emotionless numbers like statistics. However, hearing someone's personal story of loss and grief is far more likely to resonate with them, she said.
Last year's staged collision, which was the first organized for a number of years, demonstrated how violently airbags deploy. The high school's administration was pleased with how it all turned out and gladly welcomed the opportunity for another scenario this year, she said, adding the event was also well received by students.
"They were excited to have us back."
Volunteer members of the fire department brought out the vehicles for the mock collision as well as their own gear such as the Jaws of Life for the extrication, she said.
"I can't say enough about our fire department — they're spectacular."
As a mother of three children — aged 21, 18 and 12 — Heffernan said youth have a tendency to consider themselves invulnerable and don't always reflect on the potential ramifications of driving impaired or distracted.
"Hopefully that's something this program does, is make them pause a moment and make them realize they're not invincible."
The main goals behind the collision scenarios are to educate students and raise awareness about what emergency responders see on the roads when people make poor decisions, whether that might be driving while intoxicated or even texting and driving, she said.
"These are some of the things they need to take into account before they get behind the wheel."
The paramedic said such programs are very important.
"I like to think of EMS as being part of the community. For me, it's part of our responsibility to try and educate kids and make a difference."
Click here to view more photos from the mock collision.
