In June, we celebrate the World’s Largest Swimming Lesson (June 22)!
Join us to help prevent the second leading cause of accidental death for kids under 14 – DROWNING! Hundreds of locations and tens of thousands of swimmers participate in the World’s Largest Swimming Lesson to raise awareness about the vital importance of teaching kids to swim to help prevent drowning.
You can even be a part of TEAM WLSL! http://www.worldslargestswimminglesson.org
OR on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WorldsLargestSwimmingLesson/
Swimming is a life-saving skill for children and a vital tool to prevent drowning, the second leading cause of unintended, injury-related death for children ages 1-14. Research shows if a child doesn’t learn to swim by the third grade, they likely never will. The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson™ was created to serve as a platform to help local community aquatic facilities and the many different national, regional and state wide water safety and drowning prevention organizations work together to tell this important story on a local and national level.
In Southwest Florida, Safe Kids knows that our community’s children are at a higher risk, because we can swin year round! Please enroll your child or children in swimming lessons this summer and help us keep kid safe!
Always supervise children while they are swimming. Download your “Designated Watcher” card now!
May is Hurricane Preparedness Month!
It only takes one storm to change your life and community. Tropical cyclones are among nature’s most powerful and destructive phenomena. If you live in an area prone to tropical cyclones, you need to be prepared. Even areas well away from the coastline can be threatened by dangerous flooding, destructive winds and tornadoes from these storms. The National Hurricane Center and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center issue watches, warnings, forecasts, and analyses of hazardous tropical weather.
Hurricane Preparedness Week (May 7-13, 2017) is your time to prepare for a potential land-falling tropical storm or hurricane. Learn how with the daily tips below and related links. Share these with your friends and family to ensure that they’re prepared.
What do I need to know to get ready for a Hurricane?
The most important thing is to stay informed:
The National Weather Service has a Hurricane Preparedness Page and Ready.gov from the Department of Homeland Security has information on being prepared in every stage of a natural disaster including Hurricanes. Please review these websites and get a plan together.
The most important first step is: Make a family emergency communication plan.
The Lee County Family Emergency Plan can help you and has a downloadable form to help you! Your family, including children and the elderly, need to know how your family will handle a severe weather situation.
Keeping your children safe is a family priority.
Here is a helpful PDF from SavetheChildren.org on how to keep your children safe during a weather event.
Where can we find a shelter in a Hurricane?
Not every shelter is going to be open in emergency situations. The open shelters will be near affected areas. Check local news and weather information before taking you and your family to a shelter.
Here are a few resources to get you started, but you must make your plan by doing your own research.
Lee County: You can find out how shelters in Lee County by going to this page. In Lee County, you can find a list of shelters here.
Collier County: When a shelter is needed, you can find information on available ones here that are near you.
Charlotte County: Here is a great downloadable PDF from Charlotte County that you can put in your Hurricane Kit. It will inform you on all Hurricane Shelters and emergency numbers.
Hendry County: When in need, here is a list of shelters that are available. Please check with local authorities before heading to any shelter to make sure it is open.
How do I teach my children about Hurricanes?
Safe Kids need to have information before the weather event is even a possibility. Learning about weather can be fun! Here are a few kid-friendly resources that you can use to teach your children about all kinds of weather, and how to stay SAFE.