Police to present "Every 15 Minutes" at FVHS Thursday and Friday

The Fountain Valley Police Department and Fountain Valley High School will present the “Every 15  Minutes” program to the junior and senior classes on March 22-23.

The two-day program focuses on personal safety, drinking and driving and the potential consequences of poor decision-making. The program name is derived from statistics that show that about every 15 minutes someone in the United States dies from an alcohol-related traffic accident.

The “Every 15 Minutes” program is presented prior to spring break, prom and graduation ceremonies, which makes it a timely event.

A fatal alcohol-related traffic collision will be reenacted in front of the high school at Bushard Street and El Camino at 10:15 a.m. on Thursday. Fountain Valley police, firefighters and other agencies will participate in the presentation.

There will be street closures in the area so motorists should expect to take alternative routes.

As part of the reenactment, the injured parties will be transported to a hospital, the fatality will be transported to the coroner's office, and the police chaplain will deliver death notifications to parents of the victims. The person responsible for the collision will be arrested and booked by police officers.

Although the parents know that this is a staged event, the emotional impact of the notifications has proved to be overwhelming to those involved.

An assembly will then be held at 9:15 a.m. on Friday, with all juniors and seniors participating. Joshua Jahn, a nationally known speaker, and Chief Kevin Childe will speak during the assembly. There will be a video presentation of the events surrounding the traffic collision from the day prior. The “Living Dead,” as the collision victims are referred to, will be reunited with their families.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.