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Mock incident helps Mother Teresa students learn about road safety

Students at Ecole Mother Teresa School were given a crash course in safety during a mock incident on May 8.
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MOCK INCIDENT - HSE Integrated paramedics helped with a mock incident at Mother Teresa to teach students about road safety.

Students at Ecole Mother Teresa School were given a crash course in safety during a mock incident on May 8. To help students learn about road safety, members of HSE Integrated paramedic team, the RCMP and other special guests were on hand to show how first responders react to road accidents.

In this case, a student from Mother Teresa acted out a scene that portrayed him being hit by a truck on his scooter in the Mother Teresa parking lot.

“It is North American Occupational Health and Safety Week and this is a mock incident we are putting on at the school,” Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools Occupational Health and Safety Coordinator Lisa Vogt said. “We are doing it to raise awareness about road safety with kids. This is our key event of the week that kids get to participate in, and the kids are very excited. We are teaching the kids about road safety and also personal protective equipment as it relates to activities they do in the summer like riding a bike, skateboarding, motor sports or water sports.”

A narrator walked students through what the first responders were acting out, in order to help educate them on what they should do in case they witness a road accident. The student was then loaded on the ambulance present. The scene being presented was especially important, considering its location could be the location of a potential road incident.

“Kids always bolt across this section of the street and we want to reinforce that point, because it is often happening at this school,” Vogt said. “A motorist will come out of the parking lot and they will have a collision - because they are distracted. Very typical accident.”

Vogt ensured that everyone present was aware that it was acting and that no one was actually hurt.

“We are very excited to help them learn lessons about this incident,” Vogt said, adding that the 200 students was the largest audience they’d ever presented to.

Following the incident, students were shown many pieces of equipment that can help keep them safe throughout the summer months - including helmets that should fit properly and have the chin strap on at all times during operation.

If you would like more information on how you can keep your kids safe on the streets, there are many resources.

“North American Occupational Health and Safety Week website - they can go there,” Vogt said. “We also have the Alberta Construction Safety Association website - they are one of the main sponsors who help put this on.”

Vogt wanted to thank everyone who came out and helped put this event together.

“It takes a lot of teamwork and volunteering to put this together,” she said.

todd.vaughan@sylvanlakenews.com