On March 24, 2017 Lake EMS took part in the Prom Promise at Tavares High School – along with Lake County Sheriff Office, Tavares Fire Department, Tavares Police Department, AirCare, Lake County Schools, a local funeral home and Lake County Traffic. The Prom Promise is a simulation drill that uses multiple resources to show students the consequence of driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The simulation depicted a few high school students who drink prior to driving a vehicle. The students start to drive and crash into another vehicle causing multiple injuries and one death. The emergency crews extricate victims from the vehicles using the Hurst Tool and cutters (Jaws of Life). EMS and the fire department work together in patient care. They activate air support for a patient to be transported to a trauma center and another patient to be transported by ground to a local hospital. Next, the drunk driver is placed under arrest and the parents of the simulated dead students are notified by the sheriff office while the funeral home prepares the victim of the wreck for transport.
During the Prom Promise, the Tavares High school provided three students to be the victims of the crash and Lake EMS provided a High Fidelity Simulator. This allowed the emergency crews to talk to live victims and provide actual care to the simulator.
At the end of this simulation, the students listened to a few speakers. First was a Lake County prosecuting attorney. The next speaker was a mother of a child who was killed in a DUI wreck, and the third speaker was a DUI driver who is now a paraplegic as a result of herself driving while under the influence of alcohol.