Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/59042
6 • APRIL 2012 • WORLD FENCE NEWS NDPA launches safety campaign Public service announcements, preschool lesson plan aim to protect children from drowning The National Drowning Preven- able on request. tion Alliance (NDPA) opened its an- nual symposium on March 7 in San Diego with a celebration to launch the national release of PSAs and preschool lesson plan. SAVE 10% ON ORDERS* $500 OR MORE 5% OFF ORDERS* LESS THAN $500 CALL NOW TOLL FREE: 866.905.3515 Public service announcements to educate the public about child drown- ing prevention will be distributed to TV and radio stations across the nation this spring. Concurrently, early child- hood educators across the country will be introduced to a curriculum that teaches young children how to be safer around the water and provides key water safety information for their par- ents, the association stated. The initiatives are the culmination of a yearlong effort by NDPA to help protect the most vulnerable and the most common drowning victims – children younger than 5 years old. "These resources have the poten- tial to save many young lives," said NDPA executive director Kim Burgess of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. "We are confident they will be widely utilized." Development funding for both ini- tiatives was provided through the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commis- sion (CPSC) to augment its Pool Safely – Simple Steps Save Lives cam- paign. CPSC was mandated by the Vir- ginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act to create drowning preven- tion public education programs. NDPA was one of the contracted organiza- tions. NDPA produced two video PSAs. A PSA with a "Mission Impossible" theme invites the viewer to enter the fantasy world of two young children as they scheme to get a floating toy out of the backyard pool while their moth- ers are distracted. The take-away is to "Make unsupervised pool access an impossible mission." Another depicts a friendly rivalry between two dads over whose pool safety measures are best. The take-away is "With layers of protection, everyone wins." "These PSAs were designed to be engaging and entertaining, while providing eas- ily understood safety tips," said Mau- reen Williams of Yorba Linda, Calif., who oversaw production. The PSAs were posted on NDPA.org and had limited distribution to TV stations in late 2011. Nation- wide distribution began in March 2012. In the Simple Steps to Safer Pools video, a firefighter demonstrates safety steps for backyard pool owners. The video can be viewed through NDPA.org, and free copies are avail- In addition to the video PSAs, Beverly Payton, an independent PR consultant based in Richboro, Penn., produced scripts for radio PSAs in consultation with NDPA subject mat- ter experts. They are being distributed to radio station public service directors nationwide this spring. Johnny and Cindy Johnson of Santa Ana, Calif., founders and execu- tive directors of the Swim for Life Foundation, oversaw development of a preschool lesson plan and the "Safer 3 Water Safety Quest" DVD. "This curriculum is unique be- cause it is designed for children ages 5 and younger, the age group most at risk," said NDPA past president Johnny Johnson. Cindy Johnson added that many of the curriculum components also work well as stand-alone activities. "Anyone can use the video, workbooks, or ac- tivity sheets for children's safety out- reach," she said. The preschool lesson plan was created by Catherine Webb, Ed.D., of Tustin, Calif., a curriculum develop- ment specialist. The curriculum has been pilot studied in several regions, and will be made available to early childhood educators in time for sum- mer educational programs. "This curriculum goes beyond teaching water safety lessons," Dr. Webb said. "Early childhood educators can feel good about integrating this into their instruction plan because it also supports pre-school and kinder- garten learning objectives, such as lan- guage development, critical thinking, small and large motor skills." Drowning is a leading cause of preventable death to children under age 14 nationally, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Pre- vention (CDC). According to the CDC, an average of approximately 550 children ages 5 and younger drowned yearly from 2003 to 2008. One- and two-year-olds are the most common drowning victims. The drowning rate declines for children ages 6 and older, but spikes again for teenagers ages 15 through 18. For more information, e-mail Kim@NDPA.org or call 954.804.4865. The National Drowning Preven- tion Alliance is a volunteer-driven 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization founded in 2004. NDPA members are dedicated to preventing drowning for all age groups in all bodies of water through public education, advocacy and strategic partnerships.