CNMI teens to learn about being ‘Street Smart’

A team composed of firefighter-paramedics will be conducting presentations at three different schools on Saipan today in an effort to reduce teen injuries and fatalities.

Called the Street Smart program, the presentations are all about road safety, encouraging junior and senior high school students in the CNMI to be street smart. The team conducting the presentation will share life-saving lessons about alcohol, driving and making smart choices.

The Street Smart program will be presented in three sessions. The first one will be held at Kagman High School from 8:30am to 10:30am; Saipan Southern High School from 11am to 12:30pm; and Marianas High School from 1:40pm to 3pm.

The Street Smart program is being presented by members of Stay Alive From Education (SAFE), created by firefighter-paramedics dedicated to reducing teen injuries and fatalities. They visit high school and military bases across the U.S. to help young people be street smart when it comes to decisions on drinking and driving, underage drinking and illegal drug use.

The program is sponsored by Anheuser-Busch InBev and its local wholesaler, Marianas Pacific Distributors, Inc. (MarPac).

Street Smart will be presented to over 500 students in public schools on Saipan.

According to Joey Garrido, MarPac resident manager, this will be the second time the Street Smart Team will be visiting Saipan. The first visit took place in 2006, when the team visited Kagman High, Saipan Southern High, and Marianas High schools.

Street Smart takes audiences into a real-life drama experienced by firefighter-paramedics as they work to save lives of youth who have made poor choices, like drinking or using illegal drugs.

In the presentation, two certified paramedics will walk audience members through what happens at a trauma scene using medical equipment they employ in their daily jobs.

From taking a pulse, to simulating an intravenous line being inserted, audiences can see and feel not only what it’s like to try saving a life but also what it’s like to be the victim. The audience will even see irresponsible actions played out, hear choices that individuals are given while learning the stories behind the crashes.

Ambros Inc. (Guam) and MarPac Inc. general manager Tom Shimizu states, “Many of our employees are parents too, and we all want our children to make smart choices, including wearing their seat belts and not drinking when they’re underage. The paramedics’ real-life stories have a powerful long-lasting impact that encourages teens to be responsible about the choices they make,”

Street Smart engages audiences rather than lecturing or preaching to them. Using factual information, actual medical equipment and demonstrations involving students, the paramedics provide a real-life look at the consequence of irresponsible actions. The participants will also recognize EMS procedures, which may reduce anxiety if they are ever involved in traumatic experiences. Such presentation is beneficial not only to the patient but also to responders, rescue and emergency room personnel.

“We can see the impact on the students’ faces when they hear our real-life examples of what it’s like to be involved in a trauma,” said SAFE executive director Vincent Easevoli. “It’s so rewarding later when students share how the presentation has made a difference in their lives. Whether that’s choosing not to engage in underage drinking, or use illegal drugs, or choosing to wear a seatbelt, their stories motivate us to reach even more students with those positive messages.” [B][I](PR)[/I][/B]