Florida Water Safety Strategy Launches
The Florida Department of Children and Families launched the Florida Water Safety Strategy 2026-2032, the state’s first comprehensive roadmap for reducing non-fatal and fatal drownings. The strategy answered the call to action issued by the U.S. National Water Safety Action Plan, which encouraged every state to develop a plan tailored to its own circumstances.
Florida faces water safety challenges unlike any other state. It consistently ranks first in the nation for fatal drowning counts, with approximately 500 fatal drownings each year, almost one fifth of them children. The state also leads the country in backyard pools, with more than 1.59 million, which is where nearly two-thirds of pediatric fatal drownings took place. Add roughly 825 miles of beaches, over 30,000 lakes, and year-round warm weather, and water exposure is high for residents and visitors of every age.
Florida Department of Children and Families staff members Tina Morgan and Kirby Morgan co-chaired the effort. The ZAC Foundation’s Matthew Barnes and Mike Inganamort led sub-workgroups that examined each priority and asked a guiding question: “What would a perfect Florida look like?” Members of those workgroups then gathered in Eatonville in May 2025 to organize and prioritize the actions that shaped the final plan.
The strategy outlined nine priorities:
- Public significance
- Data and surveillance
- Pools
- Open water
- Lifeguards and supervision
- Life jackets
- Rescue and CPR
- Water competency
- Water emergency preparedness
Each priority included a goal and action steps ranging from policy and legislation to individual education, all grounded in the values of equity, collaboration, evidence and evaluation, and local context. The plan was designed as a living document that communities across Florida’s six regions could adapt to meet their own needs. It also honored families who lost loved ones to drowning, sharing the stories of Edna Mae McGovern, Gunner Martin, and Kareem Reese.
The strategy closed with its motto, an invitation for everyone who enjoys Florida’s waters: Celebrate Water Safely.
Download full strategy and learn more about Florida’s water safety programs at Every Child a Swimmer.