Evacuation drill engages students, creates volunteering interest
Monday February 25, 2008 -- Deron Hamel
The manager of programs at an Etobicoke long-term care home is hailing a recent evacuation exercise as a twofold success.

Anna Walpole says the Feb. 21 drill not only proved that staff members have the skills to effectively evacuate people from the 120-bed Ukrainian Canadian Care Centre, it also served as an educational opportunity for local high school students who learned about life in a long-term care home.

As part of a provincial mandate, every Ontario long-term care home must conduct an annual code green drill. A code green is a crisis evacuation, resulting from a “clear and imminent danger,” such as a fire or an explosion, requiring immediate evacuation of residents and staff members.

These exercises are aimed at determining how quickly and efficiently staff members respond to evacuations.

Many homes invite individuals from external volunteer services to play the parts of residents during these drills. The Ukrainian Canadian Care Centre, however, decided engage local youth and turned to 25 Grade 12 drama students from nearby Bishop Allen Academy to play the part of residents.

Ukrainian Canadian Care Centre PSW Ewa Mendler (right) with one of the volunteers.

There was value-added benefit to engaging high school students in the exercise, notes Walpole. Following the exercise, five students approached her to ask about the possibility of volunteering at the home.

It also cemented future partnering opportunities, says Walpole.

“What I really liked about it is that we’ve built this partnership and every year the Grade 12 drama students will be coming, so now we know where we’ll be getting our volunteers from,” says Walpole, adding the students spent time chatting with residents.

“The students were talking to the residents in the hallway, and I think this is what got them connected” and interested in volunteering, she adds. “That’s the message I want to get out there.”

Prior to the exercise, in-house social worker Karen Kennedy and projects team leader Irena Dounets visited the school Feb. 19 and did a presentation to educate students about residents in long-term care. The students were then given name tags, which included the diagnosis they were to act out.

Students were given the job of portraying residents affected by many conditions seen in long-term care, including immobility, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, heart problems and hearing impairment.

During the exercise, the students were evacuated from the third floor to the main floor. Once on the main floor, the students were registered with Red Cross volunteers and then sent to a triage area.

Students then went through a mock assessment before being sent to a holding area. The students stayed in character from the time they were brought to their rooms to when they reached the holding area.

Feedback Walpole received from the students following the exercise was positive.

“It was a good learning experience,” wrote one student.

“There was a lot of energy,” said another.