Daily News, Bowling Green, May 8, 2008

Mock drill portrays real consequences
By BURTON SPEAKMAN

The junior and senior classes at Warren East High School watched Wednesday as emergency responders showed them what could happen in a bad accident.

The mock accident was done just before prom and simulated a three-vehicle crash with one fatality and a driver who was taken into custody for being intoxicated.

Students and teachers at the school portrayed the accident victims. Organizers had worked on the event since December, said Craig Peay, fire chief of the Gott Volunteer Fire Department.

“We had been in discussion with Warren East High School about doing some sort of accident program,” he said.

With prom coming up, the decision was made to focus on the result of an accident caused by drinking and driving, Peay said.

The fact that students and teachers were used as victims showed the students that they could become the victim of an accident, he said.

“We don’t only want them to worry about themselves, but about the other driver as well,” Peay said.

Even after the mock crash, when the students were taken back into the auditorium, they still had a lot of questions. The questions had to be stopped at about 3 p.m., he said.

The questions ranged from how long it would take a helicopter to get to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville to how an airbag works and what it does, Peay said.

Everyone made sure to focus on the importance of seat belt use as well, he said.

The goal of the mock accident was to help students realize what could happen if they made poor decisions, said principal Cindy Beals.

“I wanted them to see that this was something that really could happen,” she said.

Senior Emily Grinstead said her classmates learned from the drill what could happen if a driver makes a mistake.

Most students do not realize how much effort goes into rescuing victims at an accident, said senior Hunter Studle.

As part of the drill, doors were removed from one vehicle and the roof from another to show how difficult it can be to rescue victims in a automobile accident.

The effort was also an advantage to all the agencies who participated, Peay said.

“We got a chance to have a lot of agencies work together in a stressful situation,” he said.

The agencies were able to test themselves on how they would work with different groups on a scene, including those with different equipment, Peay said.

“We initially thought it would take us about 50 minutes to get everything done, but we were able to do it in less than 30,” he said. “There was great cooperation.”

Groups that participated in the effort included the Gott, Smiths Grove and Richardsville volunteer fire departments, Warren County Sheriff’s Office, Kentucky State Police, Warren County Coroner’s Office, Stat Care Air Ambulance, The Medical Center ambulance service and Warren County Emergency Management.