"Every 15 Minutes" comes to El Capitan High School

El Capitan High School: The "Every 15 Minutes Program" is a hyper-realistic simulation of teens involved in an accident where alcohol results in major injures and death. This program is presented by the California Highway Patrol every two years to the junior and senior classes at El Capitan High. Designed to be a deterrent to teen DUI driving, the exercise simulates every aspect of an accident of this magnitude right through to the disposition of the fatality to the parents.

Students assemble for the "Every 15 Minutes" presentation

Lakeside Firefighters begin the process of removing two simulated patients from one of the involved vehicles.

Lakeside Fire has always been an enthusiastic partner in this presentation and provided an engine company, rescue company, and ALS ambulance, and a Battalion Chief for this event. This years presentation involved an accident that occurred on Ashwood St, and rolled down the embankment onto the playing field at the high school. As fire and CHP units arrived they discovered one victim was a fatality (simulated), with two critically injured occupants in another car. All roles are played by El Capitan students. They do an outstanding job that we often need to remind ourselves that this is "only simulated."

Fire Engineer Carl Chiodo stabilizes the neck of one of the simulated patients while Firefighter-Paramedic Danny Leetch works to free her legs.

The fire crews are tasked with the job of extricating the two occupants from a severely damaged vehicle. The role players present with life threatening injuries that will require transport to a receiving trauma center. The students are placed in one of the District's ALS ambulances, and transported to Scripps Mercy Trauma Center in San Diego. Once they arrive there they are evaluated by a Trauma Physician and the parents are summoned to the hospital. Simultaneous to this event another student is placed under arrest for "suspicion of drunk driving" and is taken through the incarceration procedure.

Two student "roll players" are loaded in the ALS ambulance and transported to
Scripp's Mercy Trauma Center

Lakeside Firefighters load a simulated fatality into a coffin

This entire event is carefully documented on video tape and presented to the students as part of an assembly the following day.

The Lakeside Fire District would like to thank the California Highway Patrol for the continued partnership in this program, and we thank the staff and students at El Capitan for having us participate.

Submitted By: Captain Mark Grow, Lakeside Fire District.