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Perhaps it isn't the way most high school students would want to spend a Thursday night and the Friday morning of a day they would have been off school.

However, for the group of 25 who participated in the Survivor Challenge Jan. 13-14, it was a great experience and they learned a lot.

Held at Kincardine District Secondary School, the event saw the students sleeping on Red Cross cots, and eating cold food in the dark with only their flashlights to light the way Thursday night.

They took part in various activities and listened to presentations about emergency preparedness. There were outdoor games, a fascinating laser simulator of a fire extinguisher, and Disaster Jeopardy.

Friday morning, they woke up to the sound of the bagpipes, played by KDSS teacher Watson Morris, and enjoyed a delicious breakfast of pancakes, cereal, fruit, coffee and juice, served by the Salvation Army.

Chris Potter, a fifth-year student, took the challenge one step further, by building a quinzee (snow shelter) and sleeping in it overnight. He said it was quite warm inside and he ended up shucking the sleeping bag because it was too warm to sleep.

The quinzee was built earlier in the week when a pile of snow was dumped on the site and packed, and then Chris dug out the snow to create the shelter inside. It was six-feet-by-six-feet in size with a raised bed and eight-inch-thick walls.

In the gym, Sam Bulzgis, Grade 10, said she was cold, but understood that was how a real-life disaster would be.

"I was toasty," said Tineke Vanderhorst, Grade 11, who had brought along a sleeping bag.

They both agreed that the highlight was using the electronic fire extinguisher.

Others said the outdoor games were great. They played "Hunter" in which KDSS teacher Tim Luinstra tried to find the students, while they hid from him, mainly in the snow.

"It was to simulate that in a disaster, there are gangs of bad guys out there and you were to hide so they couldn't find you," said Sam.

The Student Survivor Challenge was organized by Roberta Trelford, Kincardine community emergency management co-ordinator. Joining her in leading the event were Jude Kelly and Bob Patterson of Emergency Management Ontario, Stephanie Murray of the Canadian Red Cross, Luinstra of KDSS, and Captain Bram Pearce of the Salvation Army, as well as a great group of volunteers.

During the opening Thursday night, Kincardine mayor Larry Kraemer welcomed everyone to the event and wished them the best.

Kincardine mayor Larry Kraemer welcomes everyone to the municipality

KDSS principal Deb Kaufman said she was thrilled to have the school participating in this exercise. "We appreciate Mr. Luinstra and all the volunteers taking time to do this. You (students) will learn a lot and I hope you have a good time."

She noted that the high school is one of the locations that could be used as an emergency centre in the case of a disaster.

"This is likely the only time you'll be encouraged to sleep at school," joked Kelly, as he instructed the students on the activities taking place Thursday night.

He said most of the participants were in Grades 9-12, with one in Grade 5 and another in Grade 7 - the youngest students to ever take part in this challenge.

Friday morning, the students appeared tired but were ready for a hot breakfast.

"This was definitely a good experience for all of us," said Murray. "Most people don't know what it's like to deal with a disaster until it happens. This exercise gives you an idea of what to expect and how important it is to be prepared."

While the Red Cross cots are comfortable to sleep in for one night, the novelty wears off quickly if you have to use them for any length of time, said Murray.

Luinstra said it was great to see the students outside and playing games, crawling inside the quinzee, and keeping busy all night. "It's also nice to have all of these groups working together to put on this event."

Trelford said the event was held as part of the public education for emergency preparedness and she was pleased it went so well, as it was a first for Kincardine.

She appreciated all the students who took part, plus the presenters and the many volunteers who helped. She especially thanked Emergency Management Ontario, the Red Cross, Bruce Power, Bruce County, emergency services personnel, and KDSS.

After a short de-briefing, the students were allowed to pack up and leave.

Hiding in the quinzee while playing "Hunter"
photo courtesy of Emergency Management Ontario

Lisa Walker (L), Denyse Allin and Donna Hardman of the Salvation Army get ready to serve breakfast

Natasha Adler (L), Grade 7, and David Yun, Grade 12, model their sleeping attire

Philip Adler, Grade 12, enjoys breakfast

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Friday, January 14, 2011