On Tuesday morning, May 15th, 2007 members of the emergency services community joined together with the Telluride School District to conduct an exercise that involved a mock DUI – fatality accident, staged in the parking lot of the high school/ Students from grades nine-12 gathered at the entrance of the school to watch an emergency response unfold as fire, police and ambulance personnel worked to treat and evacuate the ‘injured’ passengers from the motor vehicles.

I would like to thank the following for their efforts in organizing this event: Students John Cannon, Pat Delves, Terese Broderick and Giselle Nelson for volunteering to be occupants involved in the crash; School district employees Mary Rubadeau, Peter Mueller, Lisa Andrews and Sarah Taylor for creating this opportunity to help educate our children about the hazards associated with substance abuse; all of the members of the Telluride Fire Protection District whose excellent skills, as crew for fore and ambulance vehicles, were demonstrated in short fashion today; to the crew of the Tri State Care Flight helicopter that responded from Durango to participate in this exercise; to the officers Montrose and San Miguel County Communication Centers; to the law enforcement officers who responded from the Telluride Marshal’s, the Mountain Village Police and San Miguel County Sheriff’s Departments; and to Telluride Towing for providing the two vehicles that were used in this mock drill. And finally, sincere thanks to the students of Telluride High School for their gracious attention to the matter at hand. Life involves choices and we hope that our efforts have left you better informed. Stay safe.

– A. James Kolar, Telluride Marshal