SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Is there a broken fence in your neighborhood? Or a murky pool? Chances are these are hazards that are far too common in Florida, which is why Code Enforcement is getting the same training as the fire department and sheriff’s office to prevent drownings.
Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1-4 in Florida, which is why the Seminole County Fire Department says training is critical.
On Tuesday, a series of training sessions started for first responders and code enforcement with the hope that they can see potential risks on the frontlines, and then share their knowledge with families to prevent tragedies from happening.
A $194,000 grant that was awarded to Seminole County Community Health from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission provided the funding to make this training possible. About $40,000 was earmarked specifically for this outreach to first responders and code enforcement.
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David Wiggins with Swim Life is one of the people leading the seminars this week. He hopes the employees who are in the community and in homes every day will be able to take the lessons they learn into the real world.
“You guys are the boots on the ground out in the community,” said Wiggins. “I hope having this knowledge and knowing how to use this knowledge and providing you with all these tools that you guys can help us put a ding in this drowning epidemic.”
Wiggins will help train 200 people in Seminole County Tuesday and Wednesday.
“It’s all about education and what to look for,” said Wiggins. “Kids are always told the water is fun. Let’s go swim. Let’s go to the beach. They’re not always made aware of the dangers.”
Our News 6 Team asked Wiggins specifically about how code enforcement can help make a difference.
“They bring the relationship in the community and being able to enforce the broken fences, the murky pools, the improper pool filter,” said Wiggins. “They’re able to bring those things to light and work with the homeowner to solve those issues.”
Wiggins says there are risks all over, which is why educating the people who can then educate the community is so important.
“These inflatable pools that people blow up in their backyards. The athletes they’re using these ice baths that they’re keeping full of water and then they add ice to them. Those are all drowning hazards,” said Wiggins. “I mean, a child can drown in 2 inches of water.”
Lt. Dave Williams with the Seminole County Fire Department says there were four drownings in Central Florida on the first weekend this summer: two in Seminole County, one in Winter Park, and one in Maitland.
“Fortunately, those outcomes were good, but we see the cycle every year,” said Lt. Williams.
Lt. Williams has been on these types of calls before, which is why he understands how this training can get results.
“We go to these calls. A lot of it is reactive to the 911 call itself, but if we go to a non-drowning situation just for a regular medical, you know, we’re the frontline, the eyes and ears that are there,” said. Lt. Williams. “If we see something don’t just let it sit to the side. Go out there and talk to the parents and say to them. ‘Hey, this is a great setup. However, this can be done better.”
National grant funds also paid for pool alarms and swim lessons for families in Seminole County.
Since the summer of 2023, the Seminole County Fire Department, in partnership with the Gunner Martin Foundation, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and other partners have distributed nearly 1,000 free door/pool alarms at local libraries.
You can click HERE for more information on drowning prevention in Seminole County.
Meanwhile, earlier this year the Florida Legislature passed a law creating a voucher program for swim lessons. A website for the program is now working, but applications to get the vouchers are not available yet. News 6′s questions to the Florida Department of Health regarding the program went unanswered Tuesday.
Any swimming instructors who want to take part in the voucher program can apply on the WaterSmartFL website.
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