Drowning Prevention this Fourth of July

Two weeks ago, one community in the Southern US was shaken by a tragic drowning death of an eight-year-old Black boy following the re-opening of a pool at a youth-serving community organization. Although we don't know all of the details, this does serve as one more reminder that too many children are still drowning in our pools, and—due to systemic injustices—Black boys are particularly at risk.

However, it is not too soon to redouble our efforts to prevent such deaths from happening in the future.

As Fourth of July weekend approaches, we know that all of you are putting practices in place to keep members, youth and staff safe from COVID-19. As this remains a top priority, we also want to remind everyone that with pools opening, comes a returning risk of drowning—a risk which may be exacerbated by the fact that facilities have been closed for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That's why now is a good time to review our Lifeguard Code of Conduct with your guards.

Specifically, within the context of both a reopening of pools and a potential holiday rush of pool users, it will be important to take a look at all aspects of our aquatic safety efforts. This may include:

Structuring Job Responsibilities
A lifeguard's responsibility is to focus on guarding the pool, so be sure to assign COVID policies and procedures to other staff members.

Test. Mark. Protect.
Swim testing and non-swimmer precautions are critical. Make sure these policies are reviewed, clearly communicated to swimmers and staff, and consistently followed. You can find our guidance on Test.Mark.Protect on our website.

Drowning Prevention is Everyone's Responsibility
Lifeguards are not the only ones who can prevent a drowning. All staff are responsible for supporting lifeguards, both as another set of eyes and as enforcers of general behavioral rules. Parental supervision is also a critical layer of protection, so be sure to communicate this to parents as they enter the pool.

Continuous Training & Preparation
As many pools have been closed for a long period of time, it's important to review all guard certifications, trainings and expectations before they are on-duty. Perform quick-checks to ensure that lifeguards are meeting your standard, and to eliminate any "rustiness" from a prolonged shutdown. Empowering lifeguards to enforce pool rules and having leadership present for back-up is another way to prepare guards and boost their confidence.

Continue in-service trainings with guards and remind them that DROP drills will be performed on a regular basis.

Emergency Action Plan
Practice your EAP as it currently exists, including any new elements introduced as COVID-19 prevention measures. Be sure that all staff are aware of their role in the EAP.

Obviously, there's a lot to keep in mind around aquatic safety. And this is in addition to the fears that may still be in staff's minds in regards to COVID-19. We know that your teams are excited to get back in the water, and your community members are excited too. We hope that the above reminders serve as a useful starting point for making sure that return is as safe and stress-free as possible.

Please reach out if there is anything we can do to support you in your efforts.

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Morrisville, NC | 27560 US

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