Photo by Jonathan Koch.
Olds high school students learned about the consequences of poor decision-making behind the wheel through a mock collision.
Students watched a mock collision as part of the P.A.R.T.Y. Program, a one-day injury awareness and prevention event.
Through the program, Local first responders, community partners, and volunteers, along with Alberta Health Services (AHS) EMS and medical staff were on hand to support emergency and trauma room simulations at the Olds Emergency Services Centre.
“I think it's very important that we have the P.A.R.T.Y. Program because it helps the younger generation understand what happens behind the scenes,” said Kelvin Singh, acting EMS supervisor for the Central Zone.
Singh and primary care paramedics Lila Bellingham and Bob Leuf, gave an overview of their ambulance to students while demonstrating the care they deliver to their patients at an accident scene.
“It provides a little exposure for EMS and our services in the zone,” Singh said. “It also demonstrates our core values of showing compassion to our patients, and giving them the dignity and the privacy that they deserve.”
Dr. Jaco Hoffman, interim Central Zone medical director and Olds physician, led a team of local first responders in an emergency room scenario, taking students through the treatment of a trauma patient after they’re rushed into the ER.
Hoffman said he was grateful to be part of the event, promoting safety and community care.
“We had a wonderful day interacting with the children and all the services,” he said. “It's all done in a collaborative spirit, and the kids go away from this understanding there are serious consequences to poor decision-making behind the wheel.”
For Grade 11 student, Chelsea Black, playing a car crash victim gave her a new appreciation for the work first responders perform at an accident scene.
“It was a lot different being in the accident because you get to experience the EMS people and the police right next to you. The way that they talked to me, getting me through it, and saying what they’re going to do so that we know what's going to happen,” she said. “Now I know how much work they have to put towards making sure that I'm safe — and that everyone else around me is safe.”
**With information provided by Alberta Health Services.