Meridian Medical Arts Charter High School students spent their Friday morning saving lives — fortunately, it was only a drill. But it was a learning lesson in dealing with real-life disasters.
A team of 38 high school juniors took part in a mock earthquake disaster drill to put their medical training to the test. Students practiced rescuing and treating victims.
“This forces students to apply the skills and knowledge they’ve been accumulating over the last ten weeks,” said Carie Staub, a teacher at MMACHS. “It aligns with the Common Core curriculum. It’s more than just rote memorization. Students actually have to use the skills and knowledge they’ve acquired.”
Since 2009, MMACHS has trained 275 community emergency response team (CERT) members for Idaho. This year’s exercise is a collaboration between MMACHS, Ada County Emergency Management, Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security, Meridian Fire Department and Boise State University’s CERT Club.
