Maricopa Fire and Medical Department hosted a Water Safety Day at Copper Sky Aquatic Center this afternoon, aiming to raise awareness and promote prevention.

Crews were joined by Maricopa Police Department and the Maricopa Water Safety Coalition for the event, which featured interactive booths where residents could learn life-saving tips and how to perform hands-only CPR.

Inside the main Copper Sky building, community organizations — including Global Water Resources, Be Awesome Youth Coalition, Exceptional Community Hospital, the Boys & Girls Club, Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, the Community Emergency Response Team, MPD and MFMD — handed out safety tips and free giveaways.

While booths offering free toys and popsicles drew a crowd, the main attraction was a simulated drowning rescue. In the scenario, two men were “rescued” from the lap pool by lifeguards who performed resuscitation efforts.

MFMD arrived on scene along with two ambulances. First responders placed the men on stretchers as two rescue helicopters circled overhead and landed in the grass fields east of the pool.

Spectators lined the fence around the pool to watch as one man was loaded into a helicopter while the second chopper hovered in preparation to land. The second man was then loaded in as well.

To close the event, the helicopters returned, giving attendees a chance to view them up close.

View the full photo gallery of the simulation in action:

In case you missed the event, here are a few tips from MFMD on how to prevent drowning incidents:  

• Barriers or alarms. Since you can’t always keep your eyes on the water, use four-sided fencing with self-closing, self-latching gates, pool safety covers, and alarm systems to help prevent children and unauthorized adults from accessing water without proper supervision. 

• Water competency. Every child and adult should be equipped with the skills to protect themselves in water by learning and enhancing their basic water safety skills to reduce the risk of drowning and aquatic-related injuries. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends starting swim lessons as early as age 1, you should always speak with your pediatrician before considering any water safety or swimming lessons for children. 

• Life jackets. When used appropriately, life jackets protect you when you are not expecting to be in the water, especially around open water. U.S. Coast Guard tested and approved life jackets should be worn by everyone in or around open water, especially when boating. They should be sized appropriately for the wearer. 

• Emergency preparation. Knowing how to prepare for an emergency with CPR training with rescue breaths, and basic water rescue skills can make the difference between life and death. If you ever encounter a victim who is not breathing, always call 9-1-1 before trying to perform CPR with rescue breaths. Proper training and certification for CPR need to be refreshed about every 1-2 years, especially if there are recent changes in recommendations. 

• Supervision. Stay vigilant and aware of your surroundings with close, constant, and capable adult supervision from a designated water watcher or lifeguard anytime children are in or around water. 

Supervision alone cannot prevent drowning from happening, and there are simple ways to improve our water supervision methods, including: 

• Never leave your children unattended without an adult present. 

• Keep children within arm’s reach of a capable adult. 

• Use scanning techniques by using patterns and keeping head counts. 

• Knowing how to identify and predict what a drowning can look like — typically, a victim’s head will be tilted back with their mouth open at the water level.