Aviel stands in the middle with fake blood on his jeans

Lindbergh High School students on May 8 had the opportunity to work with the Mehlville Fire Protection District during a mass casualty training simulation. Student volunteers acted according to the injury they were assigned, also using prop blood and being organized by color based on their injuries.

LHS junior Aviel Folsom was a simulated victim marked as red. This means he was assigned one of the most serious injuries on site. Avis's simulated injury was having a snapped-in-half arm, with a bone protrusion, as well as bleeding out. 

“We were told to lay down and then they threw a tourniquet on us,” Avi said. “I was to be taken out and assessed. I had a priority over everything.”

The simulation allowed students insight into how professional firefighters work in emergencies, while also allowing firefighters to train in a realistic scenario simulating a school bus accident. 

Mehlville Fire is partnering with Lindbergh High School to offer an EMT program for students, beginning in the 2024-25 school year. Aviel wants to pursue a future as a first responder and will be taking the new EMT program next year. 

“The simulation helped give me insight into how firefighters communicate with one another,” Aviel said. “I learned some basic anatomy, how the human body works, and how we can prevent problems from occurring in emergencies.”

This story was created by LHS junior and Lindbergh Communications Department intern Sebastian Rosas.