Press Room

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jessica Lester (215) 884-6499 (office) or (215) 421-7536 (cell)

ABINGTON TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT TO CONDUCT MOCK CRASH MAY 26, 2010 AT
ABINGTON SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, AND HOST STUDENTS FOR SERVICE LEARNING DAY MAY 28, 2010

ABINGTON – An accident scene will unfold on the campus of Abington Senior High School from 8 to 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 26th as the Abington Township Fire Department (ATFD) re‐creates a fatal accident scene to remind students of what
can happen if poor decisions are made behind the wheel.

Using mangled cars, student actors, firefighters, police, the coroner and other emergency medical responders and their vehicles, the ATFD will illustrate the consequences of impaired or distracted driving that can occur on prom night or
any other time teens get together to celebrate. The mock crash, which is an annual event at the school, typically takes place the same week as the senior prom. Abington Senior High School, located at 900 Highland Avenue, is holding its prom on Thursday, May 27th.

“Young people may hear about tragedies that happen in other communities related to unsafe driving, but there is a whole different impact when they see an accident unfold before their very eyes,” said David Schramm, Fire Services Administrator for the ATFD. “The mock crash has an emotional effect on students that stories and lessons learned in school may not, and we believe it’s an important tool in reducing and eliminating the accidents involving township teens each year.”

Two days following the mock crash, on Friday, May 28th, the ATFD will be hosting a group of Abington Senior High School students at its training facility on Florey Lane as part of Service Learning Day. Students interested in firefighting will have
the opportunity to dress in firefighting gear, crawl through a smoke‐filled room within the training facility, operate hoses, extinguish fires, and participate in other related activities between 9 a.m. and noon.

This is the fourth year in which students will visit the ATFD’s training facility to learn about the five volunteer fire companies that comprise the ATFD and what they do to prevent and fight fires. In addition to providing students with an inside
look at firefighting, it is a chance for the ATFD to recruit young people who might be interested in serving one of the five volunteer fire companies that make up the department – Abington, McKinley, Weldon, Edge Hill and Roslyn.

The ATFD’s Public Safety Training Facility is located at 2200 Florey Lane in Abington. For more information about the department, visit www.abingtonfd.org.