Verde Valley Medical Center - "Every 15 Minutes

Every 15 minutes, someone dies from an alcohol-related driving accident. For teens, these tragedies often occur around prom or graduation night events. â€œEvery 15 Minutesâ€ is a nationwide program for high school students centered on prom and graduation. The program is designed to instill in teenagers the dangerous consequences of drinking and driving. All students will witness a mock accident and watch as rescue workers treat and evacuate victims by ambulance and helicopter. A police officer conducts a DUI test and places the drunk driver into custody, and the coroner removes the body of the â€œdeceasedâ€ student from the scene. All the core students involved in the car accident go to an overnight retreat where they participate in a wide range of activities that demonstrate the consequences of drinking and driving. The drunk driver is taken to the city jail where he is booked and placed in a jail cell. Another student arrives at the hospital where resuscitation efforts are performed while parents and other students watch. These events are videotaped and played for the junior and senior class students as part of the second-day events. During the second-day events, the mock accident, hospital scene and jail scene are recapped. A funeral is staged with caskets and eulogies read by the parents, and a mock trial is conducted to sentence the drunk driver. A local guest speaker tells his story of personal recovery from a coma after being involved in a drunk driver accident. The dayâ€™s events conclude with an emotional reunion of the deceased students with their parents. The events are staged but the emotions are real. This heart-wrenching event challenges students to make mature decisions.

Overview

Every 15 minutes, someone dies from an alcohol-related driving accident. For teens, these tragedies often occur around prom or graduation night events. “Every 15 Minutes” is a nationwide program for high school students centered on prom and graduation. The program is designed to instill in teenagers the dangerous consequences of drinking and driving. All students will witness a mock accident and watch as rescue workers treat and evacuate victims by ambulance and helicopter. A police officer conducts a DUI test and places the drunk driver into custody, and the coroner removes the body of the “deceased” student from the scene. All the core students involved in the car accident go to an overnight retreat where they participate in a wide range of activities that demonstrate the consequences of drinking and driving. The drunk driver is taken to the city jail where he is booked and placed in a jail cell. Another student arrives at the hospital where resuscitation efforts are performed while parents and other students watch. These events are videotaped and played for the junior and senior class students as part of the second-day events. During the second-day events, the mock accident, hospital scene and jail scene are recapped. A funeral is staged with caskets and eulogies read by the parents, and a mock trial is conducted to sentence the drunk driver. A local guest speaker tells his story of personal recovery from a coma after being involved in a drunk driver accident. The day’s events conclude with an emotional reunion of the deceased students with their parents. The events are staged but the emotions are real. This heart-wrenching event challenges students to make mature decisions.

Impact

The program has a great impact on students, parents and the community. It not only increases the awareness of the consequences of drinking and driving but also leads to enhanced communication between parents and teens. The program alternates between Mingus High School in Cottonwood and Sedona Red Rock High School in Sedona every other year. Since the program started in 2008, there have been no police reports of any alcohol-related accidents or arrests following prom or graduation activities.

Challenges/success factors

A core group of students, representing different groups or “cliques,” are selected by the school to be involved in the car accidents. They are deeply immersed in all aspects of the program from the accident to the funerals and trial sentencing. They also write an emotional letter to their family that begins: “Dear Mom and Dad, every 15 minutes someone dies from an alcohol-related accident. Today I died. I never had the chance to tell you….” Parents also write similar letters to their children. These letters are read the following day when students and parents are reunited during the second-day events. This core group will become the spokespersons for all other students in the school. The emotional experiences these core students are part of will hopefully impact the decisions teens make in drinking and driving every day, not just during prom and graduation. Students report that the program is a life-changing experience that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Future direction/sustainability

Verde Valley Medical Center is committed to this program and will continue it as long as the schools agree to participate.

Advice to others

Have a core group of coordinators that work together each year to lead the project. VVMC utilizes the ED pre-hospital coordinator, a firefighter from Cottonwood, and a firefighter from Sedona. The three of them have been able to reach out to community resources that have also committed to the project. Each year community members such as police, firefighters, lawyers, judges, morticians, and local businesses, give their time and offer discounts to make this program possible. For information on the national program, visit www.every15minutes.com.

Contact: Tish Arwine
Pre-Hospital/Trauma Coordinator
Telephone: 928-639 6178
E-mail: Tish.arwine@nahealth.com

Community Connections