U.S. National Water Safety Action Plan Launches!
We’ve got some exciting news. The U.S. National Water Safety Action Plan (USNWSAP) launched on Thursday, June 29!
The Plan is a response to the World Health Organization’s call for member states to develop national drowning prevention action plans, as well as our acknowledgement of the need for more coordinated action at the national, state, county, and community levels.
It is the first-of-its-kind roadmap for taking collective action to reduce drownings in America.
There are an estimated 4,000 drownings annually in the United States, on top of an unknown number of nonfatal drownings. The estimated yearly cost of drowning totals roughly $553 billion.
Our very own Executive Director, Megan Ferraro, is a member of the plan’s Steering Committee, which is made up of eight other subject-matter experts across a variety of organizations:
- Dr. Linda Quan, Pediatrician and Researcher, American Academy of Pediatrics
- Connie Harvey, Director of the Aquatics Centennial Initiative, American Red Cross
- David Bell, Aquatics Subcommittee, Boy Scouts of America
- Rebecca Wear Robinson, Founder and Former President, Make the Minute Matter
- Adam Katchmarchi, Executive Director, National Drowning Prevention Alliance
- Morag MacKay, Director of Research, Safe Kids Worldwide (Committee Chair)
- Tina Dessart, Program Director, USA Swimming Foundation
- Lindsay Mondick, Director, Innovative Priorities – Movement Services, YMCA of the USA
Created by over 80 subject-matter experts, and informed by evidence-based research and nearly 400 community-level advocates across 48 states, the 10-year plan includes 99 recommendations for implementing at the federal, state, and local level to reduce drownings nationwide.
The action items put forward in the Plan revolve around six key areas:
- Barriers, Entrapment, and Electrical Safety
- Data and Public Health Surveillance
- Life Jackets, Personal Flotation Devices, and Other Flotation
- Rescue and CPR
- Lifeguards and Supervision
- Water Safety, Water Competency, and Swimming Lessons
We believe that USNWSAP is a foundation step in addressing the national drowning crisis. Learn more about our drowning prevention efforts, including our participation in the development of the USNWSAP.