RBR PROJECT PROM PROMOTES SMART CHOICES
Red Bank Regional students watch a simulated Medevac event as part of Project Prom, an annual program that encourages seniors to make smart choices during a time when many drunken driving events occur.
Press release from Red Bank Regional High School
On a brilliant sunny June morning, the Little Silver police department informed the communities abutting Red Bank Regional High School to ignore the wailing fire sirens, police horns, and whirling blades of the Northstar NJ State Police medevac helicopter.
The latter touched down at the RBR ball field, as another Project Prom crash demonstration was staged for this year’s senior class. The program is coordinated by Little Silver Officer Pete Gibson, along with RBR’s School Resource Officer Robert Chenoweth and RBR Student Assistance Counselor Lori Todd.
Three students and their teacher portrayed crash victims in this year’s demonstration. RBR Class president Dan Lloyd of Shrewsbury played the role of the drunken driver, who escaped without serious injury but was handcuffed in front of his fellow students for arrest. Lauren Ferraro of Shrewsbury and Luis Beltran of Red Bank played the innocent injured parties.
Luis’s neck was secured in a brace, as he was carefully removed to a stretcher by Little Silver and Shrewsbury EMS officers, and transported to a waiting ambulance. Lauren, whose injuries were deemed “life-threatening,” was pried out of the car by firefighters using the powerful Jaws of Life equipment, loaded on a stretcher and rushed to the Medevac helicopter for transfer to a trauma center.
RBR teacher Scott Ferris did not fare as well. He was “pronounced dead,” loaded in a body bag and secured in a hearse, furnished for the exercise by the John Day Funeral Home in Red Bank.