Public Services students and Media and Photography students worked together alongside the local Fire Service this week to demonstrate and capture what really happens during a Road Traffic Collision.
Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service, along with our Public Services students, set up a RTC simulation on Infirmary Road outside college. The realistic event demonstrated how driving dangerously can lead to catastrophic results.
Collaboration inside and outside of college
A car and a moped from our Vehicle Accident Repair department were used to highlight what happens in a collision. Two Public Services students got involved in the simulation of the crash, with Will Leavesley as the fire cadet in the car and Ethan Hughes-Allwood as the drunk moped driver.
Students from different courses watched the event unfold as the Fire and Rescue Service arrived on scene and carried out the rescue operation. Media and Photography students captured the event as it unfolded.
Road Safety
Joanna Hoare, from Derbyshire Fire & Rescue, told us all about the event and why it is essential for students to get this practical experience of RTCs. She said:
“We’re here to demonstrate what the Fire and Rescue Service do when we attend a Road Traffic Collision, but we also want students to understand how Road Traffic Collisions can occur and how they can be prevented.
It’s important for the students to see the practical demonstration because they can see what we actually do, it’s not just someone crashing and then getting straight out their car. There’s a lot more going on, depending on the nature of the crash. This one was not that bad, it was an easy roof removal, but you can see how much time it takes for a roof removal, how much people management is involved and all the precautions you need to take.”
Wide ranging role
“Our title has shifted from just Fire Service to Fire & Rescue, so there’s a whole host of incidents that we get involved with. We attend water rescues, we put out fires, we help people who are trapped, and we help with animal rescues.
It’s important for students to have that knowledge, that it’s not just about putting fires out. Most importantly, our job role is about prevention and protection. We try to prevent and protect these things from happening by doing things like safety checks, visiting schools and talking about site risk information. It’s much more than fires and car accidents now.”
