Wrecked cars, safe message

carseat032: Wrecked cars, safe messageIt could have been any street corner on any block in Bakersfield. A van was broadsided by a car. Both were heaps of twisted metal. Smoke was everywhere. Fire crews and ambulance paramedics worked furiously to free a seriously-injured, trapped passenger, while another was being tended to on the curb. The whole incident was captured by a video camera.

Now, for the twist. What was recorded by the camera on that July 30 morning at the Kern County Fire Department’s Olive Drive training facility wasn’t what it seemed. Planned by Community Connection for Child Care (CCCC) and funded by State Farm Insurance Companies, it was part of a TV production designed to promote child car seat safety. The pre-damaged cars were set in place by the fire department, which also supplied a smoke machine. The firemen played themselves, as did paramedics from Hall Ambulance Service and deputies from the Kern County Sheriff’s Department.

“Why are we making the video,” asked Kerri Jones, CCCC program manager. “Because, according to National Safe Kids Coalition statistics, 85 percent of all car seats are installed and/or used incorrectly. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics show motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 4-to-14. We want to share the information with child care providers and help save lives.”

As Kern County Superintendent of Schools’ Broadcasting Production Manager John Lenko skillfully operated the controls, a camera attached to a long boom zoomed in on KABE-TV News Reporter Irma Cervantes. Cervantes delivered the only lines in the video, alternating “takes” in both English and Spanish. As she talked about the virtues of child car seat safety, rescue crews worked frantically behind her extracting the unlucky motorist from the doomed van.

“I wanted to do the video because it will be produced in two different languages,” Cervantes said. “I particularly see the need to get the message out in Spanish. I work for a Spanish language television station and get lots of calls from viewers wanting more information on topics I cover. Personally, I found lots of things in the script of which I wasn’t aware, even though I always carry a child safety seat in my car.”

Each time Lenko would ask Cervantes to do another take, behind the scenes fire department Media Services Coordinator Edwina Davis would reposition her “actors.” Exciting action scenes featured firemen prying open a car door with smoke all around them. At other times, they helped paramedics extract the victim from the wrecked van and placed her on a stretcher.

“I have done training videos for years and know what to look for,” Davis said. “I have to be sure the rescue crews are dressed appropriately and that the scenes don’t depict them performing dangerous acts they would not normally do in the line of duty.”

“Edwina helped so much,” Lenko said. “I wanted a real look, as close to what would normally take place, as possible. And that is exactly what we got.”

CCCC Special Projects Facilitator Brooke Antonioni, the video’s producer, said the final product to be released in late August will be both a 12 minute training video that can be used by schools and other child care providers and two, 30 second public service announcements for use on local television stations.

“We want to demonstrate correct use of child car safety seats, safe driving techniques to help adults be role models and ways to keep children entertained so parents can concentrate their attention on driving,” Antonioni said.
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