Crushed vehicles, a crying mother, maimed bodies, a fellow student arrested, and a "deceased" friend - these are the images that Sherwood High School students will see this week at their S.L.A.M. (Simulated Live Action Melodrama) event. S.L.A.M. is scheduled for Friday, April 26, at 9:00 a.m. and is sponsored by Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue and the Washington County Sheriffs Office. The event graphically simulates the consequences of a motor vehicle collision involving students who choose to drink and drive at a party. Students from Sherwood High School will play the parts of the "victims." The students will receive fake injuries (makeup called "moulage") and be placed in wrecked vehicles under a tarp on the back track/football field.

As a 911 tape begins to play, the tarp is thrown back to reveal the wreckage and bodies, while firefighters and paramedics respond to the incident. Firefighters will use extrication tools to remove the students from the wrecked cars, police officers will put the driver through a sobriety test, students will be loaded into ambulances, and a medical examiner will place the "deceased" student in a body bag for transport to a funeral home.

Karen Eubanks, TVF&R Public Information Officer says, "The half-hour program is designed to grab the students’ attention. It’s a harsh and sobering message that drinking and driving can be deadly." The program was developed by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office after they viewed a similar program in California. To date, other agencies participating in Wednesday’s event include Metro West Ambulance, Washington County Consolidated Communications Agency (911), Hillsboro Towing, Life Flight, Farmers Insurance, ROSEY 105 Radio, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and Amica Insurance.

Following the Sherwood program, over 15,000 high school students will have seen SLAM. The program will be presented to Westview High School on May 15, and Southridge High School on May 22. Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office have been presenting SLAM events since 1997. Since that time, there has only been one drinking-and-driving fatality involving a student.

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