A road safety demonstration in Blackfalds encouraged kids to think smart and pay attention this summer
Grades 4 and5 students from Iron Ridge Intermediate Campus and St. Gregory the Great Catholic School observed a mock incident by the Blackfalds RCMP and local EMTs to mark Safety and Health Week in Blackfalds on May 7th.
As part of the fabricated scene, Braiden Drobot, nine-years-old, sprawled on the ground of a parking lot with fake blood dripping down his face and a nasty gash on his leg.
His MP3 player and headphones were flung not far from where he lay on the ground, along with a helmet he had presumably not clipped on.
“It scared me, even though I knew it was fake, I almost cried,” said 11-year-old, Phoenyx Bascom, one of the Iron Ridge students who was in attendance at the simulation.
Braiden’s mom Cheryl Drobot and Tracy Beaver played the part of the driver and passenger at the incident — doing both the right and wrong things. The scene was narrated by Joe Whitbread, the Red Deer Rebels in-game host and Amanda de Boer, a disaster management coordinator.
An ambulance, and two police vehicles arrived at the scene with their sirens blaring after the actors pretended to call 9-1-1 and real paramedics arrived on the scene with all their gear to assess Braiden and load him on to a stretcher to take him away.
Over 230 students went through demonstration, all getting the chance to watch local professionals respond in a critical situation.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for our kids because it teachers them what to do when an accident first happens and to remain calm,” said Della Lastiwka, principal of Iron Ridge Intermediate School.
Following the demonstration, safety professionals presented street safety strategies to reinforce the message and encouraged students to make road safe choices.
Bascom said she will pay more attention when she is riding her bike this summer.
“I go camping every summer and a whole bunch of cars always go by and we’re alsways crossing the roads, so we have to be really careful,” Bascom said.
Parkland Safety Committee hosts an event like this every year in Red Deer but this was the first year that they held one in Blackfalds.
“What we’re trying to do is get kids to focus on street safety, as parents allow them to travel independently,” said Lisa Vogt, occupational health and safety coordinator for Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools.
North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week is held every year during the first full week of May to raise awareness about occupational safety, health and the environment (HSE) in an effort to prevent work injuries and illnesses.
It is a collaborative sponsored event involving the Alberta Construction Safety Association (ACSA), Parkland Regional Safety Committee, HSE Integrated, Stuart Olson Inc., RCMP and Central Alberta Chapter of Canadian Society of Safety Engineering.
