Greenville Fire-Rescue wants everyone to “Swim Smart”

Greenville Fire and Rescue via Facebook

Greenville Fire-Rescue (GFR) is once again presenting its annual three-week water safety series on drowning prevention as part of May’s Water Safety Month.  

GFR and its partners: Greenville Parks & Recreation, Hunt County EMS-AMR, and the Texas  Game Wardens, will speak on educational topics related to water safety on Thursdays, starting  May 12th from 6-7:30 p.m. covering a different topic each week. The series will be held at  Westview United Methodist Church located at 6407 Sayle St, Greenville. The program is free,  and families are encouraged to attend together. 

The weekly lineup includes: 

May 12: Pool Emergencies – Common pool emergencies and teaching of Hands-Only CPR – presented by Hunt County AMR/EMS. Pool drownings can even occur hours to days after someone has been swimming. Hunt County EMS will be on hand to talk about symptoms to watch for when your child has been in the pool. They will also teach a Hands-Only CPR session.  Hands-Only CPR has already proven to save lives in emergencies. 

May 19: Public and Home Pool Safety – Safety at pools WITH lifeguards – presented by  Greenville Parks & Recreation. Many fatal drownings or near-fatal drownings occur in places with lifeguards. Any time a person is submerged the potential to be impacted for life is present – and the longer they are submerged, the greater the impact to the person’s ability to function. This focuses on how parents and caregivers can keep their loved ones safe at waterparks, public pools,  etc. Swimming when there are NO lifeguards (i.e. homes, apartments) – presented by Greenville  Fire Department. Every year, the news reports instances of someone drowning in a pool where no lifeguards are present. This topic covers tips for having a designated water watcher anytime someone is in the pool as well as what steps to follow should an emergency happen. 

May 26: Boating and Lake Safety – Boating, personal flotation devices (aka life jackets),  personal watercraft safety – presented by a Texas Game Warden. The final topic will lead into the Memorial Day weekend. A time traditionally spent as the first big boating event of the summer. A local Texas Game Warden will be on-hand to talk about boater safety, lake safety, in particular – proper fit of lifejackets. 

In addition to the speakers, a light meal will be provided each session by local sponsors,  including Hunt County AMR-EMS, and the Greenville Firefighter’s Association Local 997, as well as door prizes, to be given away each week. 

According to the LV Project, toddlers ages 1-4 and teens ages 13-17 are at higher risk for drowning, toddlers in swimming pools and teens in open water. The LV Project was started after a Texas family lost their teenage son, Connor, to a fatal drowning at a lake. Connor, who was a  great swimmer, was not wearing a life jacket. The premise of the LV project is that being water safe is a lifelong practice. Even if a child has learned how to swim, they are still at risk of drowning. Practicing water safety should be done at all ages and from inside the house (think toddlers and mop buckets) to areas outside the house (open water).  

As of May 5, 2022, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services website notes that  12 children have already drowned in Texas thus far. 

Because Texas leads the country in youth drownings for ages 14 and under each year, Greenville  Fire-Rescue created this family-friendly water safety series to educate families together on various ways to be safe in and around water. Most importantly, GFR wants to dispel the myth that residents will know if someone is drowning. Contrary to what most people believe,  drowning is a quick and silent killer. In the time it takes to get a towel (10 seconds), a child can become submerged. Most drownings of young children occur in family pools (Texas Drowning  Prevention Alliance). Greenville Fire-Rescue wants to get the message across that drowning can be prevented.  

Join us for fun, food, and education, by registering (for food and hand-out purposes) at the following link: https://gfdtx.online/SwimSmartGVL or by calling (903) 457-2940. 

Any business that would like to be a sponsor by providing door prizes may contact Sylvia R.  Peace at the above phone number or via email at srodriguez@ci.greenville.tx.us