By Aya Miller
mlive.com
VAN BUREN COUNTY, Mich. 鈥� The sound of sirens rang through the air outside Van Buren Tech, 250 South St. in Lawrence, on Tuesday, May 13.
Fire trailed from a smashed car and part of a small airplane.
A dozen children and adults were screaming for help, each covered in fake blood, some with fake bones protruding from their skin.
Van Buren Tech was hosting its annual 鈥渕ock disaster鈥� where students respond to a mass casualty event staged by local law enforcement. The mock disaster has been conducted for about 20 years, said Dave Manson, superintendent of Van Buren Intermediate School District.
鈥淵ou can sit and class and learn or you can actually do it,鈥� Manson said. 鈥淭hese kids are learning to do it.鈥�
On Tuesday, students training to become police, firefighters and EMTs responded to 鈥淢ayhem Market鈥� where a small crop duster crashed into a busy flea market.
Actors 鈥� some conscious, others pretending not to be 鈥� were lying in the wreckage of mangled tents and under crashed cars. One person was screaming as they hung from a parachute in a tree.
Police vehicles arrived on scene, sirens blaring, like they would in a usual emergency. Students filtered out, assessing the scene.
One of those students was Dillon Simpson, a senior from Lawrence Public Schools serving as a police sergeant. He gave orders to other students dressed in full police uniforms.
鈥淲e saw the fire, we know fire was dispatched, so our primary goal was making sure there weren鈥檛 any other immediate threats,鈥� Simpson said.
Getting students into the scenario, as if it was a real response, is the goal, said Jeremy Robertson, assistant fire chief at the Columbia Township Fire Department.
鈥淎s soon as they make that decision to commit to it, it goes well,鈥� Robertson said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what we鈥檙e trying to help them to do is make that decision. Act and the rest will fall into place.鈥�
A small human trafficking ring was also operating out of the flea market during the scenario, Robertson said.
One student opened the door of a semitruck and found nine students huddled inside. Two students acting combative were arrested. A police officer was on scene, coaching a student on how to deal with a combative suspect.
The disaster serves as the final assessment for students in the police, fire and EMS classes. Cosmetology students assist by dressing the actors up with prosthetics and lifelike injuries.
鈥淭his was our first time doing this. We didn鈥檛 know what we were doing, especially for the juniors,鈥� said Kennedy Wells, a junior studying cosmetology. 鈥淚 think we did really well with how little time we had to practice.鈥�
The first-responder classes play out scenarios through the year, but the final project is unique because it requires coordination between all departments, Robertson said.
The mock disaster is one example of how career and technical focused education pathways outside of the university route are 鈥渞eally moving forward鈥� Manson said.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of things kids can do,鈥� Manson said. 鈥淪ometimes we get caught up in the whole 鈥榗ollege is the only way to go鈥� and that鈥檚 not always the way that it should be.鈥�
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