Water Safety Strategy

Using the Ca-Water Safety Strategy

Section 3

California Water Safety Strategy Priorities

Using the California Water Safety Strategy

The CA-WSS is designed to be a living document that will grow and expand as collective work progresses, issues  emerge, and the landscape evolves. This is a guidance document flagging areas that are important for decreasing drowning, need focused attention, and responsive to cross-sector alignment. As such, the CA-WSS does not contain a specific plan for each area. Future strategic plans, which outline specific steps, responsible parties, timelines, and evaluation metrics can be created for action areas, key data activities, or entire priorities, if there is interest and support. The following pages provide a high level outline of each of the eight California Water Safety Priority Areas.

Each priority includes information on two major branches of work that need attention:

  1. Addressing knowledge gaps via Key Data Activities Each priority area outlines key data activities to address knowledge gaps. The knowledge gaps presented within each priority area call attention to incomplete understanding of this issue, which results in many gaps such as insufficient data, lack of evaluation, not knowing who is working in local areas, and being uninformed about disparities.

Closing the gaps outlined within each priority will lead to better data collection and analysis, more effectiveness given program design and implementation, and improved evaluation of intervention efforts. Working on closing these gaps through research, evaluation, and collaboration will help refine the Key Action Areas outlined in this document with more specificity.

  1. Aligning and advancing activities in Key Action Areas Key Action Areas within community programs and education, professional training and capacity, and policy and systems are presented as important domains within each priority area that require attention.

While addressing knowledge gaps will inform and enhance activities, the Key Action Areas reflect work that can start now, aligned with what is known about the issue from global and national drowning prevention efforts, research, and, most importantly, identified by California’s drowning prevention stakeholders.

Consider The Work Ahead

The Key Data Activities and Action Areas are intentionally broad to promote flexibility among stakeholders, organizations, and regions. Progress in both addressing knowledge gaps and advancing action areas is required and can happen in parallel to reduce the burden of drowning in California. As drowning is a complex and multifaceted issue, there is some overlap between the priorities. Action areas may be applicable to multiple stakeholders and, conversely, some are more focused on particular stakeholder groups.

Users of the CA-WSS are invited to read this document and consider:

1. What Key Data Activities could I and/or my organization contribute to?

2. What Key Action Areas could I and/or my organization contribute to?

3. What Key Data Activities and Key Action Areas does my existing work within drowning prevention and water safety align with?

4. How could I use this strategy to support and advocate for drowning prevention and water safety work I and/or my organization are currently engaged in?

5. How could I use the CA-WSS to advocate for the development of new work within drowning prevention and water safety for me and/or my organization?

6. What partners could I collaborate with to advance Key Data Activities or Key Action Areas in my area?

Public Significance

California Water Safety Priority 1

Goal: To elevate drowning prevention and water safety as an issue of public significance.

Why is this a priority?

Water safety is a recognized issue of importance for young children, however, strategies to prevent drowning are required for all populations and environments.

This is especially important for communities with high drowning rates and those who have been historically excluded or had limited access to programming and services. The data on the burden of drowning in California shows just how broad the problem is, from disparities in drowning rates in different regions or among different populations, to the varying circumstances of drowning events across different bodies of water. Elevating drowning prevention as an issue of public importance to governments, businesses, community organizations, and the public at large is an important step in reducing drowning.

Multiple international health organizations and drowning prevention bodies across the world have recommended a public health approach to drowning prevention. A public health framing promotes focusing on people and communities where they live, learn, work and play, but does not mean drowning prevention is only a health issue. Rather, this approach calls us to examine the complexity of the problem from multiple perspectives. Involving a wide array of stakeholders allows us to address the issue from many vantage points in a coordinated way, and elevate the issue in the public’s eye.

Given this, the Key Data Activities within this priority area are focused on ensuring there is a knowledge base about what all stakeholders are currently working on and building on this base with the action areas outlined. Key action areas outline activities to incorporate water safety and drowning prevention into other stakeholders' strategic planning and key activity areas. This will require leadership and communication skills.

Knowledge Gaps

A baseline of knowledge about current activities within drowning prevention in California is essential to build from and expand. Key data activities within this priority are focused on understanding what is currently happening in local areas with regard to drowning prevention and water safety so as not to duplicate efforts and waste resources. While some of this work has occurred, (13) a robust and systematic landscape analysis focused on the points below is required to identify gaps, create solutions, and track progress.

Key Data Activities

Identify current state and local policies related to drowning.

Document and map all current drowning prevention stakeholders and their activities.

Identify stakeholders not yet involved, ensuring diversity among people and organizations.

Determine existing community education programs, identifying geographic and other access gaps.