LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It was about as close to the real thing as students could get.
Approximately 100 students at Fairdale High School in Jefferson County held a mass-casualty training event Tuesday. The scenario was a grim scene: there were real overturned cars, broken glass and victims calling for help.
“We have a tractor trailer that jackknifed, (and) a car ran up under it," said Dan Shirley, instructor for Fairdale's Fire & EMS Academy. "As a result of that, we had multiple other vehicles (have) accidents."
He created and directed this training simulation incorporating real firefighters and had his students suit up to perform the tasks with first responders.
Just like in real life, the simulation was chaotic. Student actors were screaming, moaning, some were motionless and each had a placard attached to them.
The cards had prompts and information that helped guide the students as they trained in triage. Professionals worked side-by-side with the students to help guide them through the exercises.
“If I had this kind of experience when I was younger, it would have changed a lot of things for me," Shirley said. "Some of these kids, most of these to be honest with you, don’t want to be a firefighter (or) an EMT. But they are willing to come and bust butt for me."
Every piece of equipment first responders use in the real world was at the the students' disposal, including the jaws of life.
“It’s very widespread, and you don’t know what you’ll come across," said Fairdale junior Mackenzi Beasley. "You might start at one position and end up at a whole other, like this situation."
Some participants said they're expecting to be firefighters, but even the students who didn't still gained a valuable understanding of the what it takes to be a first responder.
“Years ago, we had volunteer departments, and they stepped up (and) came up through the ranks in the volunteer departments," Shirley said. "That’s not necessarily the case anymore, so we have to get these recruits from somewhere, and this is one of the options they have."