Just a few days before their graduation ball, students at École secondaire du Chêne-Bleu took part in an alcohol- or drug-impaired accident simulation on Monday morning, a re-enactment that was powerful to say the least. 

In collaboration with school staff and a few students, the Pincourt / Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot firefighters, Sûreté du Québec police officers and CÉTAM paramedics devised a scenario that quickly captured the imagination of the young audience.

The two-hour activity, which takes place in the schoolyard and indoors, comes as a complete surprise to the youngsters. Of course they know that the simulation will take place, but they don't know when. 

Some of them aren't just passive. "The participants in this exercise were Secondary 5 students. It added to the realism when you think that they'll be having their prom in a few days' time.Kristina Pelletier, a social work technician at Le Chêne-Bleu, helped us set up the scenario for this simulation. We were also able to count on the collaboration of Fanny Michaud from the Sûreté du Québec, Renaud Pilon from CÉTAM and Fernando Afonso from the Service de sécurité de Pincourt / Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot. All these people had roles to play," explains Judith Boyer, who helped develop this unique activity. 

In it, we see young people having a little party. One of them, in an advanced state of inebriation, leaves the scene in his car to go to the convenience store. He has a passenger with him. During the ride, he collides with a second car. Under the force of the impact, one of the two drivers was ejected, while the passenger was seriously injured. 

From the extrication of the victims to the resuscitation attempts on the victim, the arrest of the driver and the funeral of the teenager, everything had been thought out to provoke reflection in the young people. 

"We're there every step of the way. From the 911 call to the victim's eulogy, which takes place inside the school.The emotions are always palpable during this activity, as the fact that the actors are Secondary 5 students adds to the realism.It could really happen, even if you don't want it to.As a first responder, you want to have emergency calls, but not like this.It's never an easy thing to do," she adds.In this strikingly realistic simulation, the emergency responders take the opportunity to demonstrate the extent of their know-how to the students, who watch helplessly as the sad scene unfolds. 

After this larger-than-life activity, the students heard from a 32-year-old woman who shared her life story with them."The 32-year-old woman, whose name I won't mention, lives in the area and has herself caused an accident that claimed a victim while driving under the influence.She came to talk to the young people about the consequences of her actions.She was charged with impaired driving causing death. She recounted her experience in a federal penitentiary. No one spoke during her talk. She told such a powerful story that she will be included in the simulation from now on," she concludes.