The May West Ranch Town Council meeting California Highway Patrol Officer Sergeant Lund presented the “Every 15 Minutes” program which demonstrates the consequences of driving under the influence first hand to local students. Lund show a well produced DVD of the event which was filmed at West Ranch High School. The following is a description of the program, how it worked and the participants:

The “Every 15 Minutes” program took place on March 22, and 23, 2007, at West Ranch High School in the Santa Clarita Valley.  West Ranch is a new school in the William S. Hart Union School District and currently does not have a senior class; however, approximately 1400 students make up the sophomore and junior classes. This would be the school’s first “Every 15 Minutes” program.  A combination of twenty-three sophomores and juniors from the student population were involved with the program.  Five of the students acted as “crash victims” and one as the “drunk driver.”  The seventeen remaining students acted as the “living dead.”  One West Ranch teacher was included in the “living dead.”Planning for this event began several months ago with West Ranch Assistant Principal Mr. John Costanzo and his staff. The school selected a cross section of leaders from the student population.  Several meetings were conducted with the selected students as well as their parents to discuss the emotional difficulty of the program.  All were involved in an open discussion and shown a previous “Every 15 Minutes” video produced by the students at a local high school.  Parents and students were supportive of the program and were excited about their involvement.

The California Highway Patrol, in conjunction with Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, conducted several preparatory meetings to organize the event.  Several discussions with the staff of American Medical Response, Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital, Los Angeles County Fire Department, and additional support staff, proved beneficial in the planning stages of the event.

The day of the event after the mock collision scene the twenty three students involved in the event attended the mach court trial at the Newhall Municipal Court where the DUI driver was charged with murder receiving a sentence of 45 years to life.  After Judge Kevil Martin asked the drunk driver how old she was, the judge stated she would get out of jail when she was 62 years old, and walk across the street to the social security office.  After the court proceedings concluded, all of the students were transported to Central Park where they were introduced to the Santa Clarita Valley Youth Grove memorial where 67 local youths are memorialized with replica tree stumps denoting a life cut short.  The students were then transported to Eternal Valley Mortuary where they learned what it would be like to plan a funeral.  After that emotional day, the students were then transported to the Holiday Inn Express in Valencia.  At the hotel after checking into their rooms and eating dinner, local parents and family members of teenagers killed in the Santa Clarita Valley spoke to the teens about their experiences.  The speakers addressed the parents of all of the teens involved in the Every 15 Minutes program at West Ranch High School.  The students were then asked to write letters to their parents, family and friends to express the feelings they had knowing they were “dead”.

The following day at an assembly the sophomore and junior classes were shown a video of the collision scene.  The same speakers addressed the student body.  Several of the “crash victims” and the “DUI driver” read their letters at the assembly.

The two day event took place as planned.  All participants, role players, emergency personnel, the entire student population, and West Ranch staff were positively affected by the program.  Officers, Explorers and Senior Volunteers from the Newhall Area of the California Highway Patrol were responsible for all role player responsibilities.

The event was a huge success.  The Newhall Area of the California Highway Patrol and West Ranch staff are continually receiving positive feedback at events throughout the area.  This is the first event the Newhall Area of the California Highway Patrol has conducted from start to finish.