Manatee EMS partners with safety officials to combat child drownings
As the weather heats up and people gravitate to their pools, Manatee County safety officials are stepping up their effort to promote water safety and to prevent children from drowning.
Florida leads the country in drowning deaths among children, and a total of 13 children drowned or nearly drowned in the county during 2017, said Sean Dwyer, district chief of Manatee County Emergency Medical Services.
"You could take lakes and little ponds in communities, and they could be enticing for a kid to want to go into as well," he said. "I'd like to say it's just a pool safety thing, but it's really a water safety initiative if anything else."
The education-based initiative is an effort between county EMS crews, sheriff's deputies, rescue divers and parks and recreation staff, along with Safe Kids Florida Suncoast, which is headed by Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital.
Dwyer said the key to preventing a drowning incident is not only supervision, but also barriers -- both physical and metaphorical.
Every house should have childproof locks and alarms on its doors, he said, and pools should be lined with a secure fence. Toys may serve as a magnet for children, so Dwyer recommended keeping toys out of the pool when its not in use.
Petra Vybiralova is the Safe Kids supervisor at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital. Her organization created laminated badges for people who want to be a "designated water watcher."
The badges hang from an orange lanyard and list safety tips on the back. "Learn CPR and keep rescue equipment, a telephone and emergency numbers by your pool," it states.
An adult is meant to wear the badge and keep watch over swimming kids, especially at parties and get-togethers. Vybiralova said the badge can be passed between adults when the "water watcher" wants a break.
"Let's say we are at a party and everybody thinks everybody is watching, but nobody's really watching," she said.
She said anyone who wants more information can call Safe Kids Florida Suncoast at 1-800-756-7233.
The county has youth swimming classes scheduled for dates in April, May, June and July. Classes are available in the morning or evening at a cost of $35. Each session lasts two to three weeks.
For more information or to register for a class, call the Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Department at 941-742-5923, or visit the G.T. Bray Recreation Center at 5502 33rd Ave. West.
Swim classes are a way to make children and adults more comfortable during a day at the pool, and lessons are available for people of all ages, said Matthew Porter, the county's aquatic supervisor.
"I've taught an 84-ear-old man to swim, so there's no excuse," he said.
This story was originally published April 6, 2018 at 5:13 PM with the headline "Manatee EMS partners with safety officials to combat child drownings."