By Mayor Mark Sheldon
As any beach safety official or lifeguard will tell you, the single most important thing you can do when it comes to water safety is to learn to swim. Teach your children to swim so you can have that peace of mind when it comes to being in the water.
May was Water Safety Month in Florida and as the busy summer season kicks off, summer is a great time for a few safety reminders.
Florida is surrounded by water. And Bay County has many lakes, rivers, and streams. Millions of families come here to enjoy our natural resources, most specifically to dip their toes in our emerald waters and feel our sugar-white sand on their bare feet.
As such, beach and water safety is an important issue. The City assertively promotes the beach flag warning system and the dangers of rip currents. All beach schools have been provided posters that explain the currents and the meaning of the flags.
The flag status, which is assessed daily by our Beach Safety division of the Fire Department, is posted on the City website and sent out as an Alert Bay notification. We continue to educate people on the City’s double red flag ordinance which provides for a $500 fine for those entering the water on double red.
The beach flag warning system and the dangers of rip currents are posted at every public beach access and in hotel and condo rooms.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 10 people die from unintentional drownings every day with about one in five being children 14 and younger. Drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide.
Drowning prevention begins in the home. That’s why it is so important that children learn to respect the water. Participating in formal swim lessons has been shown to reduce the risk of drowning by up to 88 percent. Classes offered by the Parks & Recreation Department teach drowning prevention strategies and crucial survival skills.
Here are a few basic water safety tips:
• Always have active adult supervision around children.
• Learn water safety survival skills and learn to swim proficiently.
• Install safety barriers when a child or vulnerable adult has uninterrupted access to a body of water.
• Learn CPR for adults and children, as this is the number one way to save a life when there is no heartbeat.
• Be a good role model. Learn to swim, learn CPR, wear a life jacket, and never swim alone.
Panama City Beach Swim Academy offers swim lessons for all ages and skill levels. Summer lessons are available from May 31 to August 6. For more information on currently available class times, schedules and pricing, contact the Aquatic Center at Frank Brown Park at (850) 236-2205.
Junior Lifeguard Camp dates are July 5-9 and July 19-23. Morning classes are for eight to 11-year-olds and afternoon classes are for 12 to 15-year-olds. The cost is $100. Contact wil.spivey@pcbfl.gov.
Both the Aquatic Center and Beach Safety are hiring seasonal lifeguards. Positions are posted on pcbfl.gov under the Jobs tab or search “City Job Postings.”
