EMS students roll out disaster plan

Orleans/Niagara BOCES Emergency Medical Services teacher Amy Green assigns her senior class a unique assignment every year - a disaster plan.

The students were given a scenario of a train derailment on Saunders Settlement Road in Sanborn near the Niagara Career and Technical Education Center where the class is located. Their assignment encompassed how they would respond to that event as an EMS professional. Local health professionals, educators and first responders critiqued the students on several criteria, including their handouts, how they were greeted when they entered the classroom, teamwork and their presentation.

"The students talked about how they would triage the victims, handle any contamination and how they would ... evacuate the school in the event of a fire," Green said. "They did a very good job and the feedback they received from our panel was very helpful to them. I am very appreciative of the time and expertise our guests gave us and I think it was a good exercise for the students."

Pictured, from left, are Ilya Tereshkevich (Lockport), Olivia Fernandez (Wilson), Kaila Veach (North Tonawanda), Robert Weeman (Niagara-Wheatfield), teacher Amy Green, Julia Marohn (North Tonawanda), Adam McCabe (North Tonawanda) and Paul Joseph Jr. (Niagara-Wheatfield).