Local emergency offices host “The Final Frame”
Several emergency offices in Washington County hosted “The Final Frame” on Saturday, May 23. The Washington County Office of Emergency Management, Pafford EMS, Air Evac, Mississippi Highway Patrol, Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Venuti Towing and Recovery, Leland and Greenville Fire Departments, Greenville Police Department, Washington County Coroner and several volunteers collaborated on the event.
“The Final Frame” focused on educating others about distracted driving and the effects it has on others on the road. Sara Hester, deputy director of the Washington County Office of Emergency Management, was one of the primary organizer of the event.
“Saving lives doesn’t just include the work that we do on emergency scenes,” said Hester. “It includes educating others outside of those scenes.”
Volunteers acted as victims for the staged car crash, while emergency crews operated in normal fashion as if it was a real car accident. Jacob Venuti, a Leland fireman and the executive of operations for Venuti Towing and Recovery LLC, was also present at the event. Venuti Towing and Recovery provided the vehicles for the staged crash.
“Not only was this an educational event, it was also a detailed training for us,” said Venuti. “Going through the motions with other emergency crews on scene allows us to have practice working with each other and ensuring proper protocols are followed. Going through the motions as many times as we can allows us to be more comfortable working together.”
Leland Fire Chief Dquan Wilson brought in some members of the Leland Fire Rescue team, “I was pleased with how well the event turned out and how all emergency crews handled themselves, treating it as any other emergency scene,” Wilson said.
The offices and service providers say they look forward to collaborating again in the future to showcase an event like this and to continue education efforts for others in Washington County about safety on the road and distracted driving.
