On Thursday April 3, students from Liberty High School in Brentwood were shown a reenactment of a vehicle accident that left one student dead, two injured and the driver arrested for a Driving Under the Influence (DUI).
The simulation took place on the Liberty High School baseball field as part of the Every 15 Minutes, a National Program that teaches students the danger of drinking and driving. National statistics show that someone is killed or seriously injured in an alcohol-related car accident every 15-minutes.
Emergency responders from the Brentwood Police Department, East Contra Costa Fire Protection District, American Medical Response and REACH took part in the real-life simulation. Students who participated continued their experience with trips to the morgue, emergency room, and to the police department jail.
The car accident is part of a two-day program where a pre-selected student will “die” every 15-minutes on campus throughout the day which represents the toll from fatal drunken driving accidents.
According to the Every 15-Minutes website, the “Grim Reaper” calls students who have been selected from a cross-section of the entire student body out of class. One student is removed from class every 15 minutes. A police officer will immediately enter the classroom to read an obituary which has been written by the “dead” student’s parent(s) – explaining the circumstances of their classmate’s demise and the contributions the student has made to the school and the community. A few minutes later, the student will return to class as the “living dead,” complete with white face make-up, a coroner’s tag, and a black Every 15 Minutes T-shirt.
The students will be taken through an audio – visualization of their own death. Then each student will write a letter to his or her parents. Parents are also asked to write similar letters.
Here are some photographs from the crash scene simulation.
Editors Disclaimer: Although photographs may appear graphic to some, they are not real and are a reenactment.
For more information on this program, visit www.every15minutes.com
5 comments
At least the kids can see what an important role our East County firefighters and emergency responders provide at critical incidents other than fires. Too bad their voting parents have failed to recognize the importance.
Parents want their kids educated and are wiling to tax themselves, approving bond after bond, but when it comes to protecting their lives, obviously they don’t care as much.
I believe the every 15 minutes or something similair should be shown to parents (voters) prior to putting another tax on the ballot. It might be the only way voters will wake up to what is really important.
Oh Brother!
This should be at every junior high and high school. Kids as young as 12 and younger can be affected by showing them this. Making an impression to them is so important starting at a young age. If it saves at least 1 person from drinking and driving then that is a success. Well done to all of those involved!
I cried just looking at those photos… Too bad half the kids in the bleachers weren’t taking it seriously.
JM, you would be surprised just how many of those students took it seriously and were emotional, and affected by it.
It’s a powerful program for not only on the drunk driving issue, but it throws kids together who wouldn’t normally talk to each other, and they form this incredible bond and learn a lot about themselves, their peers and their parents. Does this program reach everyone? Of course not. but if it causes even a few of those kids to think differently, or it opens up communication, then it’s well worth it.
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