Students arrived to see the ghost figures of their classmates holding silver tarps over two vehicles. The music of " In The Arms Of An Angel" by Sarah McLachlan was playing over the loudspeaker as well as some other "thinking music" to set the mood. The field was littered with beer cans and childrens' toys. One of the vehicles had actually been involved in a past drunk driving accident.

City of Meansville Fire Chief Scott Huckaby narrated throughout the 40 minute scene. He told them that this program was being presented in order to give them "a dose of reality". This part of the program was very well-coordinated with EMS personnel, Pike County Sheriff's Deputies, Pike County Volunteer Firemen, Ladies Auxilliary, Mid GA Ambulance personnel, Pike County Coroners, Emory Life Flight, and the Georgia State Patrol on the scene at the track. Actual neck braces and other safety equipment was used to make the scene as real as possible for students.

The teens also got a healthy dose of reality with real-time response to the accident scene as well as the actors playing their parts to a "T". The drunk driver lamented over what he had done before finally calling 911, two Moms came screaming across the field when they found out that their teenagers had been involved in an accident on prom night and had to be physically restrained by emergency personnel, the drunk driver was given a field sobriety test and taken away to jail while victims were taken to surrounding hospitals for treatment, and the two "dead" people stayed still as if they were really dead from the accident.

I taped this so I could time it and also get a quotes from emergency personnel for this article. The screams from the one girl who was removed from the front passenger side of the SUV gave me chills as I was (very quickly) writing down my quote from Patsy Riley. Listening to it that second and third time to finish writing her quotes would have been pretty nerve-wracking if I didn't know that the scene was being acted out. Her Mom set the scene on edge when she screamed and ran toward the SUV too.

Keep in mind that it was a pretty cold morning to be laying in or on the hood of a vehicle in Prom attire with no shoes on and covered in cold fake blood. These students did a fantastic job!

In this simulation, the first victim was en route to the hospital about 25 minutes after the accident because the drunk driver cried and looked over the scene for 6 or 7 minutes before he finally called 911. The Jaws of Life were used to take the door off of the SUV in order to stabilize a victim to go to the hospital, and Life Flight was even called in to carry off one victim. Seven people's lives were affected from a night drinking and driving after the Prom in this drama. By the end of the scene, there were 20 to 30 emergency personnel on the field.

At the end of the scene, students were allowed to walk through the crash scene so they could see it up close and personal. Some covered their mouths and blinked back tears as they walked through and some refused to walk through and went on back to the gym, but everyone was pretty subdued as they walked through the scene.

Teri Totten, President of the Ladies Auxilliary, stood by the scene as the students walked through and began their walk back to the High School. I told her that the emergency personnel had done a good job on the program. "We never get to see the end result--good, bad, or otherwise," she said.

Hopefully, there were be fewer DUI accidents because of Ghost Out 2008. If there is even one student who chooses not to drink and drive, the program will have been worth it.

Patsy Riley talked to me for a few minutes about the fire volunteers on the scene. Patsy is a Ladies Auxilliary Member and wife of a volunteer fireman. She told me how volunteers have bought some of their own equipment, go to training on their own time, and respond to fires at all hours of the night even when they have to get up to go to work the next morning. "That's how much they love what they're doing," she said. "They're giving back to the community on their own time."

The students got to see the drunk driver go before the Judge for a very long jail sentence when they returned to the gym after the DUI scene was concluded. The teens gave a big round of applause to all of the participants who had taken a day off from work to perform in the Ghost Out for them. And on their way back to class, students walked past all of the participants surrounding a coffin with posters that read "Is What You See Worth It?" that had been made by the Art Department.

Participants were asked by BJ Jenkins of Mid GA Ambulance whether they felt like they had touched one person at school. They gave an overwhelming yes. These participants seemed to be deeply affected by the drama that they had played a part in as well. BJ thanked them for their help. "Y'all did a great job," he said.

The vehicles are in front on the Middle School on Hwy 19 with wooden crosses in front of them with a banner that says, "Think Before You Drink". Thank you to everyone who participated in this lesson on drinking and driving. You did a fantastic job!

If you are interested in a career in healthcare and would like to receive the valuable experience needed for many health care programs such as medicine and nursing as well as working along side EMS Paramedics as they respond to various 911 emergency calls, come check out the Mid Georgia Ambulance EMS (Emergency Medical Services) Medical Explorers. The Explorers meet every Monday at 6:15 p.m. at the Zebulon Fire Station across from Dairy Queen. Anyone interested between the grades of 9 – 12, please contact Blaine Tyler at 678-544-0573 or e-mail blaine.tyler@gmail.com for additional information.

If you have comments on this Ghost Out or suggestions for future Ghost Out events, please email BJ Jenkins of Mid GA Ambulance by clicking here.