Health Care District supports efforts to promote safe driving to local teens
The Health Care District's Trauma Agency and Aeromedical program participated in an annual demonstration known as "Shattered Dreams," a live car crash reenactment that educates students about the deadly outcomes of dangerous driving behavior.
On April 1st, students at Olympic Heights Community High School in Boca Raton watched a dramatic scenario unfold on the football field as their fellow students reenacted a mock car crash that takes place on prom night.
The nearly 1,000 students looked on intently as Palm Beach County Fire Rescue extracted a traumatically-injured "patient" from a vehicle that was involved in the staged accident. The students applauded as one of the Health Care District's two Trauma Hawk air ambulances landed on the field, demonstrating how the Flight Team would transport the critically-injured "patient" to one of the area's two Level 1 Trauma Centers.
The educational program was narrated by the Health Care District's Trauma Nurse Outreach Coordinator David A. Summers, RN, EMT-P, who hopes teens get the message about making choices that will keep them safe.
"In the past we've been most concerned with drunk driving," said Mr. Summers. "But in recent years distracted driving, such as texting, eating, or changing a song on digital devices has taken a front seat in teen risky driving behaviors. These distractions, coupled with inexperience behind the wheel and the distraction of other teen passengers, are another major contributor to youth driver crashes."
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), car crashes are the number one killer of teens. Seven teens a day are killed in car crashes, deaths which are preventable.
"Unfortunately teenagers think they're invincible, and they think this kind of thing will never happen to them," said Dave Clark, Principal, Olympic Heights Community High School. "This really drives the point home of what can happen and how important safety is and making good judgments."
The program is the result of a collaboration between the Health Care District of Palm Beach County, Dori Saves Lives, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office and the School District of Palm Beach County.
Palm Beach County's nationally-recognized Trauma System is overseen by the Health Care District. Since 1991, when the first lifesaving mission took flight, the Trauma System has treated over 57,700 people, providing rapid-response care for nearly 3,000 traumatically-injured patients each year.
Watch coverage on Palm Beach County School District's The Education Network
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue extracts a critically-injured mock "patient" from the vehicle
Nearly 1,000 students watched the dramatic scenario unfold on the field below
The mock "patient" is removed from the vehicle and prepared for transport to a Trauma Center
One of the Health Care District's two Trauma Hawk air ambulances lands on the football field
Palm Beach County emergency responders, including the Health Care District’air ambulance
The mock "patient" is loaded for transport on board the Trauma Hawk air ambulance
Trauma Hawk takes off, simulating flight to one of the area's two Level 1 Trauma Centers
Participants in the Shattered Dreams live car crash reenactment
Posted on: Apr 02 2016