Emergency response planned for Monday at high school

The sirens and flashing lights of first-responder vehicles do exactly what they’re intended to do — get your attention.

And when sirens wail and lights pulsate near a school, everyone takes notice and anxiety is at fever pitch. The unknown and fearing the worst automatically draw scrutiny.

And you never know when it’s going to occur. Except for Monday at Sallisaw High School. A mock tragedy — a two-car collision — will be presented at 9 a.m. Monday as a dramatization designed to educate students, parents and the community about the serious issue of driving distracted (texting) as well as underage drinking and driving. Intentionally held prior to occasions on which teenagers are most likely to consume alcoholic beverages — in this case spring break, then prom and graduation — the realistic experience encourages teens to make positive choices when behind the wheel of a vehicle.

So while high school students watch Monday morning, police, fire, EMS, a life-flight helicopter and other emergency personnel will respond to the “crash scene,” providing stark realism to the consequences when driving responsibilities are compromised.

“We realize this time of year things get busy, and exciting events are taking place. We just want to be sure all of these students return safely,” says Amy Edwards, prevention services director for Sallisaw NOW Coalition. “ The dangers of distracted driving or driving under the influence isn’t just something that affects them, but others possibly riding in their vehicle, plus the life-long effects it could have on family and loved ones.”

So when you see emergency vehicles racing to the high school Monday morning, it’s in response to a mock tragedy intended to prevent a real tragedy.