8 Years of Drowning Data in Spain

Speakers:

Luis Miguel Pascual-Gomez, AETSAS (Spanish Association of Professional Lifeguards)  |  Diego Garcia-Sanz, Universidad De Cantabria

An innovative drowning in Spain 2013-2020 data collection project from digital news with qualitative analysis using Data mining and GIS techniques

Adaptive Aquatics Safety Partnership and Training with Float 4 Life and Swim with Becky and Friends

Speakers:

Blake Collingsworth, Float 4 Life, NDPA President  |  Kim Holmberg, Float 4 Life  |  Becky Puhl, Swim with Becky

This session will focus on how we created a training program to partner with a local autism network to provide a much needed service to the ASD community. We will share the demand for this service due to increasing diagnosis of ASD. We will detail our training experience and how to successfully implement a similar program.

Building my Business on Gentle and Fun Back Floating

Speaker:

Rita Goldberg, Founder, British Swim School

Gentle and Fun Back Floating…There are many misconceptions in both how to teach back floating and how to teach the teachers to teach back floating. My last 40 years have been dedicated to both of those problems. I know with absolute certainty that teaching back floating can be done in a gentle, fun, and valuable way and we should both teach our parents to expect it and teach our teachers to be able to do this.

Bridging the Gap Between the Pool and Open Water

Speaker:

Courtney Kline, Swim4Life Colorado

Our typical program teaches kid to swim from A to B in a predictable setting. Statistically drownings happen in these settings under the age of 5. What if we saw each child at the age of 50, 60, 70 years developing neuro-pathways and skill that apply to open water settings. Why learn to float like a starfish when starfish don’t float, learn to float like jellyfish. Empower kids with the science of water, what floats, what sinks, how does their body work with water. Apply diving down to get a dive stick to diving under a wave instead of trying to go over it. I have seen these concepts and more save lives over the past 5 years in my swim program. Most of our clients come from other programs saying the same thing, “They can do (insert skill level) but I still don’t feel they are safe on the lake, ocean, river. I was a competitive swimmer for the first quarter of my life but when I worked with marine mammals, did open water swims, fell out of a raft in white water I didn’t understand how to apply any of those skills. I want to get the idea out there to approach our lessons with open water drowning in mind. Use a current in your pool, talk about science, real life situations, deep breathing in pool, making a plan before you enter or go around water…

Carbon Monoxide: Boats, Water, Sports, & Open Air

Speaker:

Cassandra Free, Advocate

Carbon monoxide is an invisible killer and many boaters are unaware of the danger and the extent of the danger it poses to passengers of watercraft, as well as those nearby. Too often CO dangers are considered to be limited to enclosed spaces, but CO deaths also occur in the open air.

Coalition Collaborations: The Good, the Bad, and Reality

Speakers:

Amanda Throndsen, Florida Department of Health  |  Nathalie Martin, Swim Global

This session will focus on successes and challenges of coalition building and sustainment. A peer led interactive session will provide an opportunity for participants to create and share ideas, discussing key elements for building and maintaining an effective and dynamic coalition. For all who participate in coalitions – whether you facilitate them, just attend the meetings or are trying to breathe new life into an existing one – this session is for you!

Creating Momentum for Water Safety Legislation

Speaker:

Halle Quezada Rasmussen, Water Safety Advocate

Legislation is integral to massive culture shifts but where to start can feel daunting. In this session I will share how we built necessary relationships with the community and law makers to write and pass water safety legislation. A tool kit to support you along the way in your own journey will be shared.

Drawn to Water: Things We Need to Know About Teaching Kids with Autism to Swim

Speaker:

Stacey Hoaglund, Autism Society of Florida

Kids with autism drown at a rate 160 times more than typically developing kids. They LOVE the water! In fact, they are DRAWN to it! This same group of kids are often wanderers who have little regard for safety, which often results in drownings. Attend this training to learn about specialized strategies in teaching kids with autism, how to engage with families, and how to market your program to this underserved community.

Effective Partnering and Education for Prevention

Speakers:

Tina Morgan, Department of Children and Families  |  Kirby Morgan, Department of Children and Families

We all have data about water safety, but how do you use it? We would like to show you how the Florida Department of Children and Families in the Central Region (Orlando area) took data, leveraged committees to create a task force, and effectively created education and awareness campaigns with major partners. Florida leads the country in drowning deaths and we have taken the stance that these deaths are preventable. We will share with you our data on child fatalities and the committees that work to help with preventing future deaths. Additionally, this is not something one agency alone can tackle. We will show you how our data lead us to search for partners in areas that previously had been untapped and how we created some community education and awareness around water safety.

Engaging Your Board: Striking a Balance Between Fiduciary, Strategic and Generative Conversations

Speakers:

Pam Cannell, BoardBuild  |  Krista Johnson, BoardBuild

The best boards are those that add significant value to their organizations and help take their mission to new heights. Is your board spending too much time looking in the rear-view mirror focused on reporting? Successful boards engage in future-thinking issues and processes centered on the work of the organization and those who the mission benefits. Is your decision-making body working this way? If not, there are steps you can take to start working together collectively to address challenges and opportunities on the horizon. Increase the synergy between all of your board members by prioritizing the board member experience and striking a balance of fiduciary, strategic and generative conversations to elevate mission impact..

Exploring Fatal Unintentional Drownings in Texas, 2006-2020

Speakers:

Dr. Molly Johnson, Dell Children's Medical Center  |  Alissa Magrum, Colin's Hope

With the third highest number of fatal unintentional drownings of US states, Texas has a responsibility to strengthen drowning prevention. However, it is important for prevention efforts to be data-driven. We will overview data retrieved from the CDC Wonder online database for fatal unintentional drownings in Texas over a 15-year period, highlighting trends over time and differences in the total number and rate of fatalities related to the water source, age, gender, ethnicity, and race. We will also look at how Texas data compares to the US as a whole.

GEN WS- Creating A Water SafeR Generation

Speakers:

Alissa Magrum, Colin's Hope  |  Jessica Brown, Colin's Hope

Just as seatbelts and snowboard helmets are now accepted and expected for people of all ages to keep them safer- we believe that we can create a generation of children who learn about water safety from the beginning of their lives, create safer behaviors and make safer choices around water and ultimately grow up to be adults, parents and caregivers who are safer around water and pass that along to to their children- shifting cultural and societal norms and preventing drowning.

GOAL GETTING “You don’t have to LEAD to get things done!"

Speaker:

Mick Nelson, Total Aquatic Programming. LLC

During these challenging times, goals are more important than ever. Have you ever wondered why some people reach dreams and feel like their life’s purpose has been enhanced? What is their secret? We will share with you how our leadership of business, team, and aquatic health club was successful for over 35+ years. Drowning Prevention Advocates are very passionate about their purpose. Learn how to use the power of 3 of Quantitative, Qualitative and Realistic methods to help turning any dream into a reality. Come prepared with a goal you have not been able to achieve and figure out how to develop a plan.

How do you know your Water Safety Tips are working for people with Autism, Down Syndrome, Anxiety and Sensory Difficulties

Speakers:

Cindy Freedman, Swim Angelfish  |  Ailene Tisser, Swim Angelfish

Learn immediate strategies to ensure your safety tips are successful for Autism, Down Syndrome, Anxiety and Sensory Difficulties. We will dive into the underlying reason why they might not be working and share stories of how to overcome any obstacle related to Water Safety Tips for these swimmers with challenges. Strategies and Techniques to teach your team of lifeguards, swim instructors and aquatic staff.

Real life stories from Swim Angelfish adaptive swim students will show you how to make your safety tips work for all swimmers. For the past 24 years Swim Angelfish works to improve safety and reduce risk, specializing in Adaptive Swim and Online Aquatic Education.

Indoor Air Quality with the PHTA Recreational Water Quality Committee

Speakers:

Dr. Jim Egan, LaMotte Company  |  John Weber, BioLab, Inc.-A KIK Custom Products Company  |  Jody O'Grady, Taylor Technologies, Inc.

More Details Coming Soon…

Influencing Public Policy to Serve Water Safety

Speaker:

Alan Korn, Abbey's Hope Charitable Foundation

For some reason, advocacy and “lobbying” strikes fear in many water safety stakeholders. That fear is misplaced. This entertaining and informative session will review the basic framework for both federal and state laws and how they are used to promote child safety, discuss how water safety public policy efforts fit into the water safety framework, review the major legislative movements that are now going on at both the state & federal level and, most importantly, will discuss tips and tricks on how to get involved in (or improve) a public policy effort.

Key Steps to Altering the Serious Drowning Statistic of Children with Autism

Speaker:

Stacey Hoaglund, Autism Society of Florida

Kids with autism drown at a rate 160 times more than typically developing kids. They LOVE the water! In fact, they are DRAWN to it! This same group of kids are often wanderers who have little regard for safety, which often results in drownings. Attend this training to learn key steps and specialized strategies in teaching kids with autism, how to engage with families, and how to market your program to this underserved community.

Layers of Protection: Practical Techniques and Why it Matters

Speaker:

Julie Jackson, Fort Worth Drowning Prevention Coalition

The FWDPC uses a program model which teaches both in water skills and dry land education to parents and caregivers. We additionally provide life jackets for program participants, and other online resources for continued learning. This model provides a greater impact to water safety, and is a practical application of teaching layers of protection. We want to share why and how other organizations can utilize a similar model to increase their success. We know this model has a generational impact on families and encourages every family member to be a water safety advocate! Raising awareness among caregivers about the need for water safety allows them to be advocates in the community, not just impacting their own family, but other families in their neighborhood, city and state. Learn about this program model, why it works, and how it can increase water safety awareness in your area.

Maintaining Lifeguard Operations during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Speaker:

Ron Bregman, Hawaii Beach Safety Services, LLC

Presentation of pre-pandemic lifeguarding operations at various beach locations on the island of Oahu in the Hawaiian Islands. Required modifications in order to comply with a variety of executive orders will be discussed. Employee and public safety considerations are paramount to the continuation of operations during this challenging time.

Nudging People Toward Safer Decisions

Speaker:

Jamie Racklyeft, Great Lakes Water Safety Consortium

Merely informing people of danger often isn’t enough. Individuals may assume drowning only happens to others. Leaders may assume they’ll never have a drowning at their beach. How do we nudge them toward better decisions? Wearing that lifejacket or not jumping off that pier. Investing in lifeguard programs and safety equipment. This session explores persuasive techniques, good and bad.

Our More Watery World

Speaker:

Shawn Slevin, Swim Strong Foundation

Water safety has long been thought of as a synonym for swimming skills. I challenge that thinking and suggest that water safety is actually a broader construct with swimming skills as a key component. I propose that we cannot separate water safety from environmental issues. That water safety has moved from the realm of tracking death by drowning and water based accidents into one of having become a full fledged public safety issue. Not only are we seeing our ocean water levels rising1-1.5 inches per year…but also seeing the shrinking of our polar ice caps. Our waters are warming and that triggers changes to our oceans that affect the lives of many species also affecting our own food chain. Warming waters are also triggering larger, stronger and more tropical storms and hurricanes. Communities on the front edge of these storms have less time to recover. Communities typically further afield are now experiencing devastation in damage to property and loss of life. Flooding, storm surge and wild fires and weather impacts us all over the country. This situation will only continue to increase. In 50 years, I can not image what people’s relationship will be to the water, it will be so different from what we know and experience today. As a result, ALL of us, swim skilled or not, need to understand water much more deeply. In fact, we must develop a different relationship with it. It begins with education; it begins with “Know Before You Go”.

Preventing Drownings with the Model Aquatic Health Code

Speaker:

Dewey Case, Council for the Model Aquatic Health Code

Preventing fatal and non-fatal drownings in public settings can be difficult. This session helps educate interested stakeholders on how the CDC’s Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC) can be used voluntarily to reduce drowning risk at publicly accessed aquatic venues.

Protect Swimmers 10M - An Environmental Health Approach to Drowning Prevention

Speaker:

Laura Carlin Cochran, DuPage County Health Department

Health departments have a critical role in promoting the health and safety of swimmers. This session will present information on Protect Swimmers 10M (PS10M) a regional initiative that is led by DuPage County (Wheaton, Illinois) Health Department’s Environmental Health Services program. Through PS10M our agency works to improve public awareness of drowning prevention through engagement with our network of partners including health department inspectors, building department inspectors, public pool owners and operators, municipalities, businesses, and organizations. This session will present strategies for building a regional network of drowning prevention partners, methods for increasing professional and public awareness of drowning prevention, suction entrapment prevention, and VGB Act compliance through free, low-cost, and moderate cost training and education activities.

Providing Water Exercise for Individuals with Challenges (Children & Adults)

Speaker:

Sue Nelson, Total Aquatic Programming, LLC

This session will lay out how to design, develop and deliver a water program that addresses the safety and health of individuals with challenges. Maintaining a fitness level can be challenging for all of us. Add a physical and/or mental challenge and it can be even more problematic. Learning to blend the swim and vertical exercise into a yearly program will increase retention and help with enrolling new members.

Rally Your Community Around Water Safety with the World’s Largest Swimming Lesson

Speaker:

Beth Root, Buzzonic

The 2022 World’s Largest Swimming Lesson will take place Thursday, June 23rd. Learn how to participate and leverage this global event at the local level. The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson program has spread the message Swimming Lessons Save Lives™ to kids and their parents in 46 countries around the globe since 2010. Join us to learn how to rally the media behind your cause and fuel increased participation in formal swimming lessons and water competency in your community.

Real-World Experience with Drowning Detection Technology

Speaker:

Bret Kiester (In-Person), YMCA of Austin

Now is the time for technology to become an additional layer of protection against drowning. In this session you’ll hear from seasoned Aquatics Director Bret Kiester from the YMCA of Austin, Texas about his real-world experience deploying the WAVE Drowning Detection System and how this innovative technology secured incredible media attention for his facilities.

Reflections from 13 Years of the Australian Water Safety Strategy

Speaker:

Amy Peden, School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales

Australia has a long history of drowning prevention with some of the lowest drowning rates in the world. Under the guidance of the Australian Water Safety Council, successive Australian Water Safety Strategies have contributed to this achievement. Strategies have aligned the water safety sector to goals and objectives guided by rigorous evidence in the form of data and research. This presentation will report on epidemiological progress in reducing fatal unintentional drowning in Australia against the goals of the Strategy including key life stages, activities and locations. We will also discuss lessons learned, including the value of quality data, demographic shifts in population and emerging issues such as climate impacts and the COVID-19 pandemic.

River Drowning: A Globally Underserved Area of Drowning Prevention

Speaker:

Amy Peden, School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales

Globally, a significant proportion of drowning deaths are likely to occur in rivers, creeks and streams. However significant challenges exist in quantifying the burden of fatal and non-fatal drowning in rivers. In Australia, rivers are the leading location for drowning, with increased drowning risk among males and in regional and remote locations, as well as due to factors such as alcohol and flooding. This presentation will reflect on a dedicated body of work undertaken to explore river drowning burden, risk factors and prevention in Australia, where rivers are the leading location for drowning. This presentation will map the policy and programmatic impacts of this work and reflect on the importance of engaging diverse stakeholders to develop locally relevant drowning prevention strategies for rivers.

Safety: A Team Sport

Speaker:

Rory Grigull, Pikes Peak Athletics Training Center

It can be challenging for aquatics safety staff to form symbiotic relationships with aquatics programming and facilities staff (coaches, instructors, janitorial, administrative, etc). This session discusses strategies and practices to increase the involvement of non-safety staff in safety discussions and planning.

Show Me the Money

Speaker:

Melissa Sutton, NDPA & DPCA

One of the topics of need that came to light during the Fall Symposium was the need to know where to get funding, how to get it, and the tips, tricks, and trade secrets to make it possible for everyone needing it (who doesn’t?!).

Stories from the Sandbar – You Won’t Believe the Things We See

Speaker:

Meric Tendrich, Little Swimmers/The Safety Anchor

Mr. Tendrich will spend the session sharing stories of various types of accidents and rescues he has seen over the years while working on the fire boat and translate those into the “Do’s and Don’ts of open water safety”.  Meric’s other professional endeavors have been owning a swim school since 1995, and as a public-school PE teacher.  He will weave his stories and experience into several take-a-ways, ranging from keeping family and friends safe while enjoying a day on the water to efforts that, if implemented into your community, would result in safer boating experiences for all – and a potential reduction in open water drowning rates.

Swimming & Survival from a Coach's Perspective

Speaker:

Danielle Bakic, Swimming Fishies Swim School

I have been a Swim Coach for 15 years! I have helped save thousands of lives from ages 18 mo-adults. I have created a Children’s book that help boost kids confidence and help them conquer their fear of the water as well as teaching them proper technique and form of swimming. I am also a hold a patent on a swim device that helps train kids to swim the right way. It builds proper muscle memory so they learn to swim faster and quicker. We are also building an indoor swim school by this February 2022 it will be finished.

TAP into your Resources with a “Pool Chat” Program

Speaker:

Mick & Sue Nelson, Total Aquatic Programming, LLC

Put some sparkle into your marketing promotions. Tired of people not reading your fliers or even social media? Do you have messages you want your members to know? Would you like the medical providers to know what your programs are all about? Offering a way to promote your programs through internal and external methods will help increase your numbers while sharing the message you want to send. The Pool Chat Program works for all water programs.

Technological Solutions to Reduce the Risks of Drowning.

Speaker:

Yana Kroul, LifeguardEye CV Analytics

Drownings, either fatal or non-fatal, are a threat that can be significantly reduced and improved in our advanced era of big data, which is our mission at LifeguardEye. LifeguardEye is an AI/machine-learning risk-management technology that detects and tracks the movement, behaviour and interaction of people and objects in real-time in water and on land. We will discuss the potential of such technology, compare it to the current state of life-saving and risk-management and talk about other potential issues and uses.

We are confident that computer vision is vital for the improvement of water safety and risk management in any aquatic area, while the current technological state is making it available to anyone who cares about it.

The Fallacy of 'Swim At Your Own Risk'

Speaker:

Dave Benjamin, Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project

We, as water safety advocates, must address the fallacy of the “Swim At Your Own Risk” ‘get out of liability FREE’ cards. Generally, we all live our lives daily making decisions based on “Risk versus Reward”. But if the general public does not know all of the true risks around water, then they cannot be expected to adequately assess the balance of the Risk versus Reward decision making process. Drowning continues to be a neglected public health issue because it continues to be neglected on too many levels. Addressing the Fallacy can put the true risks of water into perspective.

The Marine Corps Journey Towards Water Safety Excellence at Japan Based Installations

Speaker:

Shawn Curtis, Marine Corps Installations Pacific

Marines are renowned for their “work hard, play hard” mentality and accepting risk to attain mission success, whether operational or recreational, is deeply rooted within the Marine Corps’ culture. The presenter will take the audience through first-hand experiences of what it’s like being a young Marine stationed in Japan, many of whom, are separated from family for the first time in their lives and are easily influenced (good & bad) by their new battle buddies. Fast forward 30 years and the speaker shares the hardships and successes of developing one of the most aggressive recreational water safety programs within the Department of Defense to aid in the reduction of recreational open-water drownings and near-drownings that occur more frequently than at any other Marine Corps duty station world-wide.

Tik Tok : Edu-tain your Way to New Levels of Water Safety Awareness!

Speaker:

Angela Wild, Elemental Aquatics

Short format video have become the preferred method of customer engagement and education. Water Safety Experts will learn how to use Tik Tok to attract a new generation of water safety warriors, and how to create specific content within their niche.

Turn Around Don't Drown: El Paso Water & Drowning Prevention Coalition Collaboration

Speakers:

Denise Parra, El Paso Water  |  Ana Acosta, University Medical Center of El Paso

This session highlights water safety efforts of a non-profit, public utility that serves the borderland city of El Paso Texas. El Paso Water has reduced flooding and improved public safety by making major improvements to drains, channels, dams and ponds. However, sudden, localized and intense rains can overwhelm the storm-water system, leading to dangerous situations. Annually, El Paso Water launches its “Turn Around Don’t Drown” bilingual safety campaign that includes added emphasis on how quickly intense rainstorms can become dangerous. The new campaign phrase “Life Changes in a Flash” is intended to grab the attention of drivers and pedestrians. The campaign integrates television and radio PSAs, billboards and social media posts to maximize message exposure. El Paso Water, in collaboration with the Drowning Prevention Coalition of El Paso, and other local agencies successfully join together to spread the word about storm-water safety and promote drowning prevention initiatives in the community.

Using Colleges & Universities as a Vehicle for Drowning Prevention

Speaker:

Dr. Emily Dow, University of the Incarnate Word

Academia plays a significant role in preparing the next generation to be successful and innovative in a students career. Faculty are responsible for providing education that is current and encompassing of all facets of a chosen discipline which can include drowning prevention. College and University campuses hold a responsibility in preparing the next generation to be water safety and drowning prevention advocates in their respected fields. This presentation aims to provide insight and strategies on how various college and university programs can incorporate drowning prevention and water safety into their curriculums. By including this component and awareness, students can become advocates within their discipline, community, and professional organizations.

Volunteer Recruitment and Engagement begins with Building your Community

Speaker:

Nathalie Martin, Swim Global

Harnessing the Power of Drowning Prevention Volunteers The Swim Global Project is building prosperous and inclusive water safety international projects by connecting communities in need of skilled volunteers. The Swim Global Project has expanded work to identify a cost-effective set of approaches to drowning prevention interventions that can be scaled up in other low- and middle-income countries. Capacity building and partnership examples will be presented as a template for future international projects. Social media strategies will be shared during this presentation.