OLDS — About 155 Grade 10 École Olds High School (ÉOHS) students recently attended the annual PARTY (Prevent Alcohol and Risk-Related Trauma in Youth) program.
The goal of the May 14 event was to impress upon students the dangers of driving after consuming alcohol or other substances.
The day began with a mock accident in the Olds Fire Department (OFD) parking lot.
Two vehicles were involved in the accident: a van and an SUV.
In the van was a suspected intoxicated driver. The male occupant was “arrested” at the scene.
One occupant of the SUV was pronounced “deceased” at the scene, and another was taken by ambulance personnel (EMS) with “life-threatening injuries.”
A downed power pole added to the complexity of the scene.
After the mock accident, students participated in six sessions regarding:
• An emergency room simulation with staff from the Olds Hospital, led by Dr. J Hoffman and Dr. Duong;
• An EMS unit;
• A fire truck;
• OFD cadets; and
• A tour of Heartland Funeral Services.
“As a school, we believe the PARTY program has an impact on our students,” teacher/guidance counselor Kevin Hronek wrote in an email.
“It is this time of year when more of our Grade 10s start to drive and may begin to engage in riskier activity. The program brings a discussion of these risks to our students in an authentic way.
“We are happy that we can offer this program to our students with the support of our community partners, especially the Olds Fire department and volunteers.”
Information for this story was provided by ÉOHS teacher/guidance counselor Kevin Hronek.
