Every 15 Minutes
Division: Patrol Operations
This 1½ day program teaches students of the devastating effects of drinking and driving, without real-life tragedy. It is a cooperative effort with the traffic unit, School District 14, South Adams County Fire Department, Adams County courts, and local agencies and businesses. The Every 15 Minutes program is conducted every other year at Adams City High School just before prom. This program requires more than six months planning and preparation and over 30 staff members from numerous agencies, including:
Commerce City Police Department
Commerce City Public Works
Commerce City Parks and Recreation
South Adams County Fire Department
Northglenn Ambulance
Adams County Sheriff’s Department
Adams County District Attorney
Adams County Courts
Adams County School District 14
Adams County Coroner’s Office
Adams Community Mental Health
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Denver Health Medical Center
Platte Valley Medical Center
Flight for Life
Commerce City Senior Center
Commerce City FOP Lodge #19
TetraTech Foster Wheeler Environmental, Inc.
40 + students volunteer to represent all groups of the student body. They are selected by teachers and the school School Resource Officer. The program starts on Wednesday when a grim reaper removes a student from class every 15 minutes, each representing an alcohol-related traffic fatality. A mock obituary is read to the class and the student becomes part of the Living Dead - the student’s face is painted white and they are given a black T-Shirt and returned to class. For the remainder of the day, this student cannot speak nor be spoken to.
