Jeri Williams Jefe de la Policía

Departamento de Policía de Oxnard R. Jason Benites Jefe Adjunto De Scott Whitney Jefe Adjunto

OXNARD DEPARTAMENTO DE POLICÍA

COMUNICADO DE PRENSA

DETALLES: (OXNARD, California) – On Wednesday May 1, 2013, officers from the Oxnard Police Department will be coordinating the Every 15 Minutes (E15M) Program at Oxnard High School (OHS). Unique in its design and powerful in its impact, the Every 15 Minutes Program is an educational experience that reminds us all of the dangers associated with driving while impaired by alcohol and/or other drugs.

Every 15 minutes in the U.S., someone is killed in a crash involving an impaired driver. The E15M program includes student participants being removed from their class every 15 minutes throughout the morning by the Grim Reaper. Their obituary is read to the class and the student participants later return to class as the “living dead”, complete with white face make-up. From that point on (since the victims are “dead”), they will not speak or otherwise interact with others for the remainder of the day except to be present in their regular classes. Starting at about 11:25 a.m., the student body (all Juniors & Seniors) will assemble in the football stadium to witness a mock head-on crash scene and simulated rescue that will include a full emergency response by Oxnard Police, Oxnard Fuego, Gold Coast EMS, Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office, and McCarty & Sons Towing. At the end of the school day, instead of returning home, student participants made into the “living dead” or those who were “killed” in the crash, together with several adult chaperones, will be transported to a local hotel for an overnight student retreat, facilitated by a support staff of counselors and police officers. The participants will continue to be out of contact with their family and friends overnight to simulate their separation/death.

The E15M program will continue on May 2, 2013 with a mock “funeral” assembly in the Oxnard High School gym starting at 11:30 a.m. where participants and their parents will share personal and often very emotional letters they wrote to one another the previous evening that begin with “Dear Mom & Dad, Every 15 minutes in the United States, someone is killed in a crash involving an impaired driver. Today I died. I never had a chance to tell you…” This is arguably the most powerful, impactful, and emotional part of the 2- day program. While the crash was staged, the emotions of the funeral assembly are very real!

This powerful program, funded by community donations and sponsored by the Oxnard Police Foundation, will challenge teenagers and others to think about the responsibility of making mature decisions when lives are involved.

This year Oxnard High School participants are:

• Amelia Veronica
• Benito Moran
• Andrea Resendiz
• Meagan Contreras
• Ashley Klug
• Jelani Legohn
• Devin Babuata
• Jesse Godinez
• Roy Cervantes
• Sergio Esquivel
• Adam Espinosa
• Rukiah Cotton
• Ashley Molina
• Marissa Felix
• Kelly Albers
• Andres Cardona
• Officer Greg Harasymowycz (as the Grim Reaper)

FECHA / TIEMPO DE PREPARACIÓN: 4/11/13, 14:15 horas