Year 11 students at Witchford Village College took part in a very poignant road safety day culminating in their Vice Principal and fellow students being cut from a vehicle. Firefighters from Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service staged the road traffic accident involving a car and a cyclist and arrived at the scene in a Fire Engine with blue lights and sirens.
The Fire fighters accessed and dealt with the incident as they would in real life. Windows were removed from the vehicle, followed by the doors and then the roof was cut away to give access to the casualties. Vice Principal, Mr Baynes, was carried from the wreckage on a spinal board whilst the pupils were able to walk away. The cyclist was not so lucky and was put into a body bag. It was a very chilling and thought-provoking end to an informative day. Daniel Allgood, who was one of the casualties, enjoyed being rescued but acknowledged that he would not want to repeat the experience any time soon.
Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue had spent the morning with students educating them about road safety. Fire fighters brought virtual reality headsets that showed students short videos of road traffic accidents, these were graphic and made students stop & think. They encouraged students to think before they get into a car and to be a responsible passenger by explaining to students how distractions and fatal mistakes lead to a high number of fatalities in the 17-24 age group each year. Students also learnt what to do if they are first on the scene at an accident, how to access the situation, how to get help, and how to give first aid and CPR.
We are very grateful to Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service for taking time to educate our pupils, they did have to rush away and deal with an incident for a short time but returned and carried on with this valuable exercise. Thank you too to Mrs Ouzman for organising the day which was a great success and will hopefully stay with our pupils for a long time to come.
Press release from Witchford Village College
