March 3, 2009
BC Ambulance Service paramedics from across the province have worked closely with their Health Authorities and the P.A.R.T.Y program (Prevent Alcohol and Risk-Related Trauma in Youth) campaign for many years.
In Prince George, BCAS paramedics, doctors, nurses and RCMP officers volunteer their time and expertise to provide leadership and education aimed at helping decrease the number of youth killed in alcohol-related incidents and high risk activities. Their mission is to promote injury prevention through reality education, enabling youth to recognize risk and make informed choices about activities and behaviours.
"We want to make the consequences of poor choices to these students as real as possible," said BCAS paramedic and Safety representative Jim Vanderploeg. "Calls involving youth are some of the hardest scenes to attend and if we can prevent any of them by doing this it will be a great success."
Throughout the year, paramedics across the province participate in the P.A.R.T.Y program; a one-day, in-hospital, injury awareness and prevention program for youth aged 15 and older. The students visit the ER ward, the spinal clinics, head and trauma units and the morgue. Students follow the course of injury from occurrence, through transport, treatment, rehabilitation and community re-integration.
