Mock accident gets the message out
June 2, 2013
The Nelson Daily - Friday morning at approximately 11 a.m. emergency crews from the Tarrys, Beasley, Castlegar and Crescent Valley Volunteer Fire Departments as well as RCMP and BC Ambulance responded to a two-vehicle accident minutes from Mount Sentinel High School.

The call came in that two vehicles with six teenage passengers collided, ending up in the ditch at the corner of Playmor and Eden Roads.

Three people were confirmed dead at the scene.

Alcohol and drugs are believed to be involved.

Dave Laramee, Training Officer at Tarry’s Volunteer Fire Departments, has been called to too many of these accident scenes.

The good thing about this call was the accident was staged event to educated Mount Sentinel High School students to the hazards of impaired driving.

“It seems every year after grad we respond to accidents so we want to get the message out so we have to respond to less of those (accidents),” Laramee told The Nelson Daily during the set up period.

“This is more of a lesson and awareness to people who drink and drive but not only drinking and driving but substances and driving,” he added.

“We really want to get the message out.”

Mount Sentinel students played the part of accident victims.

Laramee said a total of 16 emergency personal held a briefing at Brent Kennedy Elementary School before getting the mock call to the accident.

Emergency personal knew of the exercise but did not know how many people were involved in the accident or the extent of injuries.

“Mt Sentinel (students) get to witness accident see all the service person from RCMP to BC Ambulance to first responded to extrication and fire protection crews,” Laramee said, adding the degree of realism, from the fake blood to the injuries, is out of a scene of a Hollywood movie.

 “We had one (student) pass out on year,” Laramee added.

This is the fourth time in the past 10 years the exercise has been staged.

Laramee is convinced graphic knowledge is a great way to get the message out that any type of impaired driving is bad for the body.

“It has a huge impact,” Laramee said. “We have school counselors on hand to talk to the students about it, and we have a debriefing.”

“It's all about educating them to make smart choices.”