Schools / Education news
The Police Department has received a $10,000 grant to help pay for alcohol-awareness programs at schools.
One program, “Every 15 Minutes,” is named for a statistic, given by police, of the average time between each alcohol-related traffic death in the United States.
In April, police will present the two-day program at Westminster High School. It attempts to simulate the aftermath of a drinking accident.
Selected students are pulled out of class as if they had died, and teachers read their obituaries as parents are “notified.” Paramedics and police will also stage a collision where the “injured” are treated.
Police Officer Al Brakett said the program was conceived to show young people the rippling effect of bad choices and how drunk driving doesn’t just affect those in the accident.
The grant is from Safeco Insurance Co. of Fountain Valley.
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