What does it mean to be safe? Is it something you’ve given much thought?
Merriam-Webster Dictionary says ‘safe’ means “to be free from harm or risk, and secure from the threat of danger.” When it comes to your family, we understand the importance of keeping every member safe and free of harm. In the Northern California and Sacramento area, we have many different types of bodies of water to enjoy. We want every family to be able to enjoy swimming, grow in a love for water activities, and stay safe at the same time. At Sea Otter Swim Lessons, safety is our number one priority and we want to share our knowledge and experience of water safety with all of you so your family can understand how to reduce the occurrence of risks, and put danger ‘out to sea’. 🙂
It’s undeniable that drowning is the biggest risk involved when it comes to water sports. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Drowning is the number one cause of death in the U.S. for children ages 1 to 4, with the greatest risk between 12 and 36 months old. More children drown in California than any other state.”
In order to stay educated about the risk of drowning, and to be able to share it with our families, Sea Otter Swim Lessons is partnering with Safer 3, a comprehensive initiative that is comprised of three elements that work to reducing the risk of drowning. These include:
1.) Safer Pool
2.) Safer People
3.) Safer Response
By implementing all three, we hope to educate our Sea Otter Families on how to better recognize and account for risks around times near water, ultimately reducing the danger of drowning or other accidents by taking necessary safety precautions.
Safer Pool
In order to provide safety for you and your child, securing the pool and keeping it a safe place to swim and have fun is very important. We recommend you begin by assessing the risks involved with this particular body of water. Taking preventative measures to reduce the risk of accidents before hand is key to providing safety for every swimmer.
Examples of ways you can ensure a safer pool include:
- Installing a barrier around the pool to reduce the risk of unsupervised children entering the pool area . Contact someone for safety equipment today!
- Making sure that all objects obstructing pathways to the pool are removed to reduce the risk of tripping near the pool
- Implement a strict no running policy around the pool to prevent a slip or fall
- Providing floatation devices or life jackets for all swimmers in case they need assistance while in the pool
Having the knowledge of pool safety and taking these precautionary steps ensure that all parents will be able provide their children with a safer pool environment for them to enjoy.
Safer People
In order to use the safer pool it is important to understand how to be safer people while swimming and enjoying bodies of water. Promoting water safety to parents and children is our way of letting you know how important it is to practice safe behavior in and around the pool. Some tips on how to conduct yourself as safer people around water include:
- Enroll your child in swim lessons as early as possible, so they can learn how to be safer for life!
- Use appropriate tone and language, and give clear instructions when teaching someone how to swim
- Have a responsible adult constantly supervise swimmers
- While supervising do not become consumed with distracting devices such as a phone
- Do not consume alcohol before or during swimming
- Always swim with a buddy, preferably a lifeguard or someone trained in CPR and First Aid.
We encourage all our families to be safer people while at home or around any other body of water. Remind your child that it is never safe to swim alone and teach them to be safer people by leading by example. Know that it is never too early to teach even the youngest swimmer how to be SAFER FOR LIFE!
Safer Response
The key aspect about being safe around water is acknowledging the importance of a safer response! Accidents can (and do) happen, so we would like to share with families ways they can be prepared should they need to respond safely to a circumstance that may occur. Important safety measures to take in order to prepare for a Safer Response include:
- Practice emergency response techniques
- Make an emergency action plan
- Become certified in CPR and first aid in one of the classes we have available
- Keep a phone by the pool at all times in case you need to contact outside help for assistance
Being prepared to respond is the first step! Knowing how to respond safely saves lives!
At Sea Otter Swim Lessons it’s our goal to provide parents with the education and knowledge they need to keep their kids safe at home or around any of the many bodies of water that surround our community. We’re happy to use Safer 3 as a resource to communicate water safety to our families and as a tool for you to keep your wonderful families safe. Join us in practicing water safety by taking the Safer 3 Water Safety Challenge!
Stay tuned to our blog as we take a look at our three S’s for Safety Series. Next month we’ll dive further into the details of our first ‘S’: Safer Pool.
We want to let families know that we can provide a learning environment in which students can feel comfortable, wanted, valued, accepted, and secure in their surroundings at all times. We can also provide a 30 minute presentation at your child’s school to teach them about how to enjoy swimming while being safe!
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