‘PARTNERING WITH THE NDPA’
By Adam Katchmarchi, Ph.D.
May is almost upon us. May is often a reminder that the summer season is getting closer, and it is time to start thinking about having fun around the water once again. May is also National Water Safety Month, which reminds us of the special role we play when it comes to the summer swim season. Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1-4, and it remains a leading cause of injury up to age 55. Drowning doesn’t discriminate, and it can happen fast.
By sharing simple steps families can take to keep themselves safe this summer, you become more than just a business to them; you become a partner providing peace of mind.
To help spread the word about water safety this summer, the National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA) is providing a free and unique tool kit for you to share with your customers and clients. This innovative tool kit includes graphics and information to share on social media, sample press releases and blogs, tools and resources to share directly with families, and a free video on the Five Layers of Protection. For a small donation, the NDPA is also able to co-brand select materials in the tool kit with your business. These resources are designed to share quick, easy, simple water safety information with the families you serve.
NDPA’s approach to water safety uses Five Layers of Protection strategies to reduce risk around the water. The five layers include: 1) Barriers and Alarms, 2) Supervision, 3) Water Competency, 4) Life Jackets, and 5) Emergency Preparedness. While there is no solution that completely eliminates the risk of drowning, using all five strategies in combination can reduce the risk significantly.
The NDPA works with close to 100 families who have all been affected by a drowning tragedy. Many of these families were unaware of the facts, statistics, and simple water safety steps until after a tragedy had already taken place. We must end this and increase water safety awareness. The NDPA is committed to providing resources, tools, and education to service professionals, pool builders, pediatricians, and aquatic facilities to support this goal. But we need your help!
No service professional or pool builder ever wants an accident to take place in a pool they touch, and no family wants to live in fear. By taking a positive and proactive approach to water safety, you can help ensure every customer you serve has accurate, timely, and simple education around water safety. Even taking small steps such as sharing NDPA’s resources and education, you can save a life.
You are more than just a business to your customers when you share this information; you are an invaluable partner who cares deeply about their safety.
