"Every 15 Minutes" Program
When I was a Junior in High School, I was working on my Girl Scout Gold Award and searching for ideas. I became aware of a program called "Every 15 Minutes" or "E15" after the people who die from an alcohol related incident every 15 minutes. E15 is a drunk driving prevention program that has been implemented in various places across the country. Hillsborough High School did not have a program like this one in place, so I took it upon myself to coordinate the program with the help of the NorthStar, Hillsborough High School's Guidance Department, Hillsborough Police Department, Hillsborough Fire Department, Hillsborough EMS, and Somerset Medical Center.
We created an accident simulation using students from the high school as actors. The rest of the senior class would watch as four of their peers would receive simulated medical attention from the EMS and Fire Department. One student would act as the intoxicated driver, one would be airlifted to Somerset Medical Center and end up "becoming" a paraplegic as a result of the accident, one student would "die" on scene, and another would "die" at the hospital. These students, and a group of "living dead" students would give up their cell phones and electronic devices for the rest of the day and stay over night at a hotel with guidance counselors and volunteer teachers. This would simulate life without them to the people they love, emphasizing the need to always be a sober driver. The students who stay over night at the hotel get to listen to a speech by someone effected by intoxicated driving, either as the driver or a victim, the students then write letters to their parents starting with, "Every 15 Minutes, somebody dies from an alcohol related incident, and today I died, but I always wanted to tell you...".
The next day, the whole senior class attends a memorial service symbolizing the people who die every 15 minutes. There is a video of the events from the accident simulation, along with hospital scenes where parents "identify" the bodies of the students who "died" and a court scene where the intoxicated driver is charged with the deaths of the students who "died" in the simulated accident. The "living dead" students then volunteer to read their letters to their parents in front of the senior class. There is never a dry eye in the room. My goal was this project is effect just one person. If that one person makes the choice to never drive intoxicated or under the influence, I believe that all of the hours and work I've put into this project is worthwhile. That's why I come back to HHS every year to help in anyway I can to keep this program alive.
We created an accident simulation using students from the high school as actors. The rest of the senior class would watch as four of their peers would receive simulated medical attention from the EMS and Fire Department. One student would act as the intoxicated driver, one would be airlifted to Somerset Medical Center and end up "becoming" a paraplegic as a result of the accident, one student would "die" on scene, and another would "die" at the hospital. These students, and a group of "living dead" students would give up their cell phones and electronic devices for the rest of the day and stay over night at a hotel with guidance counselors and volunteer teachers. This would simulate life without them to the people they love, emphasizing the need to always be a sober driver. The students who stay over night at the hotel get to listen to a speech by someone effected by intoxicated driving, either as the driver or a victim, the students then write letters to their parents starting with, "Every 15 Minutes, somebody dies from an alcohol related incident, and today I died, but I always wanted to tell you...".
The next day, the whole senior class attends a memorial service symbolizing the people who die every 15 minutes. There is a video of the events from the accident simulation, along with hospital scenes where parents "identify" the bodies of the students who "died" and a court scene where the intoxicated driver is charged with the deaths of the students who "died" in the simulated accident. The "living dead" students then volunteer to read their letters to their parents in front of the senior class. There is never a dry eye in the room. My goal was this project is effect just one person. If that one person makes the choice to never drive intoxicated or under the influence, I believe that all of the hours and work I've put into this project is worthwhile. That's why I come back to HHS every year to help in anyway I can to keep this program alive.
LINKS TO "EVERY 15 MINUTES" ARTICLES AND PHOTOS: