The Cincinnati Fire Department and Western Hills High School recently teamed up to perform a car extrication demonstration to raise awareness about the dangers of driving under the influence (DUI) after prom. However, unlike other prom awareness showcases, students enrolled in the school’s public safety course got in on the life-saving action.
Chelsea Bynum, a senior enrolled in the program, expressed her admiration for the firefighters and her eagerness to be a part of this important demonstration. "All of us are really excited about the extrication, but I hope that everyone watching realizes that they need to be safe," she said.
The demonstration involved a mock car accident, in which a car was intentionally crashed to simulate a DUI accident. The fire department then performed a car extrication to show the process of removing passengers from a vehicle in an emergency situation.
Students enrolled in the school's safety program were hands-on in the extrication, using professional tools such as the Jaws of Life to rip the doors off the car.
“Firefighting has always intrigued me. I like the idea of helping and saving people,” said Bynum. “The tools we used were really heavy but I’m glad we get to use them.”
Bynum will be enrolling in Cincinnati State’s Fire Service Technology and Nursing program after graduation.
The demonstration lasted for nearly an hour with Cincinnati firefighters instructing students and providing information about the dangers of DUI accidents and the importance of safe driving practices to student bystanders.
“It has been devastating to see young individuals like my students in these automobile crashes, so this event is very personal to me,” said Willie Jones Career Tech teacher and organizer of the event.
Jones, a former firefighter of the city for 34 years, now serves as a role model for his students, giving them an insight into their future careers.
“We all love Mr.Jones,” said Tyshawn Smith, Western Hills Senior. “He really tries to push us to be the best and prepare us for the outside world. He really respects us and builds relationships with us by giving us these opportunities. Everyone sees this stuff we’re doing outside of the classroom and is always super impressed.”
