National Drowning Impact Awareness Month

August is here, and I wanted to take this time to bring attention to a national campaign involving drowning awareness.

Arizona has led the nation in drowning and non-fatal drowning events for the past several years. Nationally, drowning is the leading cause of death of children less than four years of age and the second leading cause of death in children under 14 years of age, second only to motor vehicle accidents. 

In my more than 17 years of working in Emergency Medical Service, I have witnessed this tragic event firsthand on several occasions.

A drowning is an event that you will remember for the rest of your life and/or your career.  Most other calls just fade away, but that is not the case with a drowning. You hear about these events and think to yourself, “that could never happen to me or my family,” and I hope none of you have to experience this type of event, but no one person is immune to it. 

A drowning is not biased based on race, color, religion, social economical status or sex. 

Where does a drowning occur? A drowning can occur in any place where water is present and prevents an individual from removing their face (nose and mouth) from that water source. Here, in Maricopa, we have additional hazards such as community pools without lifeguards, community lakes, fountains, canals and, of course, the more common hazards, including swimming pools, spas, bathtubs, toilets and buckets.

“I was only gone for a second…” this phrase haunts so many people that have been affected directly or indirectly by a drowning or non-fatal drowning event. What seemed like “a few seconds” statistics show was closer to five to 10 minutes of unaccountable time. Answering the phone, the doorbell, running to the restroom, checking the mail – each of these events can leave a youngster alone long enough for them to drown. Permanent, irreversible brain damage only takes four to six minutes without oxygen to the brain; take a moment to think about that.

Maricopa has not had a drowning this year; however, we have had a few close calls. Our goal is to help educate and motivate all the members of the community to become active members of our water safety program and prevent any other incidents from occurring. The motto for the Maricopa Fire Department drowning prevention program is “Water Safety…It’s a family affair,” and we believe that.

Throughout the month of August I will be providing three follow-up articles to outline some of the basic information that we all need to be aware of and some easy ways to help prevent this tragic event from happening in our community. 

Remember… “Water Safety…Truly is a Family Affair!”

For statistics on drowning prevention in Arizona, click here.

Carlos Schulz, Maricopa Fire Department Drowning Prevention Coordinator; Engineer/Paramedic

Submitted photo

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