On April 12, a mock accident drill was conducted for high school students in the parking lot of the Owen-Withee High School. Members of the Owen-Withee Curtiss Fire & EMS were on hand along with Owen-Withee Chief of Police Patrick Fehlman, O-W Officer Jacob Haugstad, the Life Link III helicopter and county coroner Clarissa Rochester.

Three students participated as accident victims, Mason Gay, Sam Wells, and Melanie Serocki. The accident involved two vehicles. Gay portrayed a person who was ejected from his vehicle and dead at the scene. He was loaded into a body bag and put in the coroner’s van. He said it was a little scary, but fire department staff talked to him the entire time. Sam Wells was the driver of the other vehicle. He was tested for being drunk and arrested. Melanie Serocki was a passenger in Sam’s vehicle and had to be extricated and airlifted as part of the scenario. She was placed on a stretcher and put in the helicopter, but not actually transported. It was explained that a person would be put in the ambulance first and Life Link personnel would begin their treatment in the ambulance before moving a person to the helicopter.

The lack of space in the helicopter was made apparent once the stretcher was in place. It was also noted that since they can’t do CPR in the helicopter, they don’t normally airlift cardiac patients. They also don’t airlift women in labor.

Officer Haugstad demonstrated how someone would be tested for sobriety and he and Chief Fehlman gave a quick demonstration of how measurements would be taken at the scene of an accident, so it could be reconstructed later. It was pointed out to students that in a real situation everything would take a lot longer than it did for purposes of the drill, often involving hours of the various departments time.

Bob Wilczek, from the fire department, talked students through what was happening from dispatch to the helicopter. After the drill, he, Officer Haugstad, and Coroner Rochester met with students in the gym to answer their questions.

During the question and answer session, students asked about the sobriety test and Officer Haugstad explained what he watches for as each task is being done by the person in question. Wilczek also pointed out that if a parent can’t be reached and someone is under 18, they will be taken to the hospital; they don’t have the right to refuse treatment. During this time, Coroner Rochester also demonstrated how a family member of the deceased would be notified. She also pointed out that they stay with the family until support from other family or friends arrives.

Victim Melanie Serocki being loaded into the helicopter.

Working on extricating a victim Melanie Serocki from the car.

5 Final preparations before Serocki is extricated from the vehicle.

7 Life Link III comes in for a landing.

Officer Haugstad tests Sam Wells for sobriety.