Greg Drew has a tragic tale to tell high school students - and he pulled no punches in driving his points home to his audience at Similkameen Elementary Secondary School on Mar. 14.
Drew lost his son, Jay, nine years ago when the youth lost control of his high speed Eagel Talon on a sharp bend of a two lane highway, struck a pole and bounced into a ditch.
The Surrey firefighter has been touring the province for ICBC in recent years in an attempt to graphically and emotionally spread a general common sense message to youth that covered such issues as listening to parents, using common sense, bullying, getting along and getting adult help for friends in need - to be a RATT (Responsible, Adult Thinking Teenager)
Drew began by explaining that he endured a period of roughly a year and a half in his life, starting with his son’s death, where several accidents tool place amongst family and friends that changed his formerly impersonal outlook with respect to accident victims.
“It wasn’t my blood,” he said of the reaction he had becpme inured to while attending the scene of bad accidents as a first responder.
“That person in that vehicle is a somebody - somebody’s son, daughter, brother uncle, best friend - and there is going to be a tidal wave that hits that family and destroys them. And that ripple effect is going to go through the whole community - and your community is so small, if something happens toanyone in this gymnasium, it’s going to affect everybody.”
Drew maintained an expressive stage presence with his audience, moving from despair to anger to tears as he described life with his teenaged sons up to the time of Jay’s fatal crash. Along the way, he offered anecdotal stories that resonated with his youthful audience, in illustrating each point.
The 33 year career firefighter spoke to the youth about their feelings of indestructability - that bad things wouldn’t happen to them - noting that it was time for a wake up call - that serious injury or death could be the consequence of believing such.
Following the roughly hour and half presentation, students could view Jay’s wrecked car, parked behind the school.
Drew has formed a charitable society that raises funds to pay for the truck and trailer that hauls his kid’s wrecked car from school to school for the two to three week tours each year. When at home in Fort Langley, Drew spends much of his off duty time speaking wherever requested in the Lower Mainland.