Creating awareness about consequences of dangerous behaviour

A group of Grade 10 students from Shaunavon, Eastend and Frontier got a first-hand look of what a crash scene can look like during another riveting presentation of the annual PARTY (Prevent Alcohol and Risk-Related Trauma in Youth) program.
The initiative, which has been ongoing in the community for more than a decade now, is aimed at helping create awareness about the potential consequences of dangerous behaviour.
In this case, the mock crash involved two vehicles filled with teenagers, that resulted from a distracted driver and a missed stop-sign.
The crash saw one young person killed, several more seriously injured and one driver escorted away in handcuffs.
The PARTY program has become a regular fall season fixture for Shaunavon High School and it has been held at the Veren Wickenheiser Centre for a number of years.
This particular mock scene, however, was a little different as it was staged outside the building, at the north end of the VWC.
The change enabled students to observe first-hand how emergency responders, including ambulance, fire, and police crews, arrive at a scene, and learn about their initial priorities. Students also received valuable guidance on how to respond safely and effectively if they were to encounter a similar emergency situation in the future.
Organizers try to make things look as realistic as possible, with staged vehicles, blood-stained make-up and screaming victims.
The event also highlights the fact that teenagers injured in these types of incidents can be friends and classmates.
Firefighters, EMS personnel, health care professionals, RCMP and the local coroner took part in the day’s events.
Following the mock crash, students broke into smaller groups as they moved from station to station for the various presentations throughout the day.
As part of the program, students followed the path of those injured in the wreck, including their care and recovery as well as a trip to the funeral home.
At noon, the students took part in a special lunch that saw kids assigned specific disabilities that they had to deal with while eating their food.
Afternoon sessions included presentations from rehabilitation and addiction professionals.
Members of the Shaunavon High School Community Council and high school staff also provided assistance with the event.
The day concluded, as it traditionally does, with a presentation from an injury survivor.
This year, Ally Hannon provided the survivor story and her incredible life experiences.
Her focus was on the danger of distracted driving and how this affected her life. She lost a very close family friend/neighbour, then only a month or so later she lost her best friend and her entire family (mom, dad and 3 children) were hit and killed. While recovering from all that trauma she was involved in a head-on collision that left her in hospital for a very long time, followed by a lengthy recovery.
“Her story was incredible and the kids were attentive throughout the presentation,” offered Shaunavon High School principal Carmen Stevenson.
“It capped off what was truly an amazing day,” she added.