Water Safety Strategy

Priority 8: Water Emergency

Water Emergency Preparedness

California Water Safety Priority 8

Goal: Ensure individuals and systems are prepared to prevent and respond to drowning incidents and community level water-related disasters.

Why is this a priority?

A prepared population is essential to successfully reducing the burden of drowning in California. This priority covers both prevention and response to isolated acute drowning incidents, usually involving a single person or small group of people, and water-related disaster events that have community-level impact, such as flooding. Many principles for prevention and response apply to both scenarios. For example, recognizing distress or a dangerous situation, provision of flotation and safe rescue, and initial resuscitation are all important links in the drowning chain of survival applicable to any drowning event, disaster-related or not. (30)

The incorporation of drowning prevention into disaster risk reduction and preparedness agendas is an important step for California’s water safety community. Drowning is the main cause of death in water-related disasters,31 which are expected to increase both in frequency and severity in California. (32)

The impacts of climate change on weather patterns are already visible in the state, large scale rain events in early 2023 led to more than 20 deaths in just a few weeks. As state and local governments bolster emergency preparedness plans, drowning prevention strategies such as swim lessons, bystander rescue training, and public CPR courses can have an important role framed as disaster-impact mitigation efforts.

Knowledge gaps

Knowledge gaps exist in the form of data and evaluation in response to drowning events broadly, and in disaster-related situations as well.

Key Data Activities

Quantify Drowning in Disasters

Deaths and injuries due to disasters such as floods, hurricanes and other weather events are 1.) frequently excluded from drowning statistics and 2.) often reported in aggregate including incidents due to both drowning and other causes. Improved understanding of the drowning burden in disaster events will help prioritize prevention efforts.

Program Evaluation

Evidence and data showing if and how drowning prevention programs and education initiatives are effective is lacking. This information will help improve the efficacy of these efforts and provide justification for ongoing activities and expansion.

Characterize Bystander Rescue

There is a lack of information on how many drowning and rescue incidents involve bystanders, and what the circumstances of these events are. Knowing how bystanders intervene, and the outcome of their efforts, will help inform prevention efforts that aim to educate and prepare people to respond to drowning events.

Water Emergency Preparedness

California Water Safety Priority 8

Key Action Areas

Community Programs and Education

CPR and AED Training for All

Promote CPR as a life skill for everyone to learn. Ensure courses follow guidelines of the American Heart Association and are available for all community members.

Bystander Rescue Training

Train community members to recognize the signs of drowning distress, and appropriately respond safely and within their ability. (1) Basic rescue awareness programs should focus on highly water competent populations, such as surfers or competitive swimmers; non- or limited water entry response should be prioritized for others

Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) 

Promote participation in Community Emergency Response Teams, integrating trained volunteers into disaster response. Include water response plans and local water hazards and risks in CERT training.

Disaster Preparedness Campaigns Develop and deliver educational, population-specific messages tailored to disaster hazards and risks for local communities.

Professional Training and Capacity

Environmental Sector Training

Incorporate drowning prevention into training and equipment for persons working in environmental health, urban planning, coastal restoration, emergency preparedness and other natural resource adjacent fields. Identify and plan responses to water hazards at specific locations and worksites.

Integrate Water Rescuers to Disaster Response Integrate water rescuers to disaster response Incorporate lifeguards and other water rescue personnel into state and local water-related disaster response teams and systems.

Policy and Systems

Emergency Preparedness Plans

Incorporate explicit drowning prevention strategies and measures in emergency preparedness plans and after action reviews.

Drowning Resuscitation Protocols

Ensure Local Emergency Medical Service Authorities and emergency response agencies including EMS, lifeguards, and police designate and train to specific drowning resuscitation protocols that are based on evidence and best practice. (33)

Water Safety Emergency Preparedness in Schools 

Advocate for age-appropriate classroom based education on water safety and disaster preparedness in California schools.

Technology for Prevention and Response

 Explore emerging technologies for drowning prevention and response, especially tools and communication methods for the broader, non- rescue trained, population.