Every 15 Minutes is an intensive two day state-sponsored DUI prevention program held on high school campuses throughout the state of California. Locally, American Medical Response and the California Highway Patrol coordinate this program with 4-6 high schools within Santa Clara County each year. Preparation begins 8-10 months in advance with school administration and parent volunteers, and incorporates resources from multiple public safety agencies including local police and fire departments. Every 15 Minutes includes a realistic vehicle collision simulation to show high school students the consequences of driving under the influence.

Day one is a real life reenactment of a DUI collision. The student body will watch as "crash victims" are extricated from real vehicles and treated by EMTs and Paramedics. The victims are fellow students who have been chosen by the school to participate in the program. Two "victims" suffer critical injuries and are transported expeditiously to the hospital, one student is pronounced dead at the scene and is transported to the morgue, and one student is arrested for driving under the influence and taken to jail. Film crews travel with each transported participant to record their experiences and the videos are arranged and played for the student body the following day. After the crash scene the student participants are taken by bus to an overnight retreat where they will engage in team building exercises and reflect on the events of the day. Participants also write letters to their loved ones "from beyond the grave" to share how they feel one last time. The overnight retreat is chaperoned by the paramedics, police officers, and firefighters who conduct the crash scene.

Day two of this program shows students the grief people feel when they lose a loved one due to drinking and driving. The student body will witness a mock funeral ceremony for the participants who "died" the previous day. The funeral begins with a bagpiper entering the gym, followed by a casket, followed by student participants and the emergency personnel who participated in the crash day. During this mock funeral students will hear letters written by the parents who lost a child during the mock crash. They will see the video presentation that was recorded during the crash, and will hear from a guest speaker who actually lost a child to a drunk driver. This is an emotional and moving program that has affected countless lives.

“Every 15 Minutes someone in the United States dies from an alcohol related traffic collision and today I died. I never got the chance to tell you…"

If you would like more information about the Every 15 Minutes program in Santa Clara County please contact the program director, Virginia Jones, at Virginia.Jones@amr.net.

Please peruse our photo gallery of a previous crash scene event to get a better idea of the magnitude of the program.