Jaws of life used at assembly in Huntly school

PUPILS saw the reality of dangerous driving last week as fire crews demonstrated cutting through a car in a simulated accident at The Gordon Schools.

S4 pupils were all invited to the special assembly about road safety.

The school was fortunate enough to have Anthony Mitchell, on call watch commander for Central Aberdeenshire, incorporating Huntly Fire Station, along to deliver a presentation on road safety.

A show of pupil hands during the assembly showed that almost all the pupils were intending to learn to drive. Mr Mitchell's presentation highlighted the need for people to be responsible when driving cars and statistics demonstrate how young, inexperienced drivers do get involved in traffic accidents. Many of the factors which cause traffic accidents can be avoided and this message was shared with the attentive group.

Following the presentation, the pupils watched as the Huntly Fire Service Team demonstrated how to remove a passenger from a crashed vehicle.

Powerful cutting devices removed the roof whilst ensuring that the passenger remained safe throughout the process. The Gordon Primary School janitor, Douglas Pirie, kindly agreed to be the passenger in the car and enjoyed the experience.

A spokesman for the school said: "The Gordon Schools staff and pupils were very grateful to the local fire service team and Mr Mitchell for giving of their time. We look forward to welcoming them back."

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.