With a little help from an Iowa Army National Guard Unit from Washington, students at Mid-Prairie High School got a close-up simulation of what a car crash is like.

The mock crash course, done in conjunction with the Mid-Prairie High School Win With Wellness group, was staged December 1 in the circle driveway at the high school. The 20-minute presentation was given four times, once for each class at the school.

Explaining about the crash and what can be done for victims was Sergeant Rob Weber of Riverside. For the last seven years, he and other local National Guard Unit First Responders, EMTs and Paramedics of the 134th have conducted either CPR Training, CPR Certification or First Aid training in PE and Health classes for area schools and community agencies.

The local unit serves Iowa and the county as a 40 ambulance evacuation and treatment company. Many of its 140 or so part-time employees are well versed in medical training through full-time careers in nursing, X-ray technology, mental health, lab-technology or civilian ambulance companies.

“Given the time of year we are conducting the class in this school years, we wanted to try tying into the winter driving season, with the numerous student activities requiring darkness or poor weather driving. I guess our vision for this new training really coincided with the message this high school group (Win With Wellness) is trying to send regarding safety and awareness,” noted Weber.

Besides showing the students about bystander level emergency scene treatment, the presentation discussed general rules of thumb when one might have to extract someone from a vehicle, how to immobilize the spine, minimize shock and maintain an open airway until an ambulance arrives to treat the injured.

Piper Auto Salvage of Washington donated the use of and prepared a car for the presentations.

Win With Wellness sponsor at the high school is Jackie Green.