3 water safety resources to help keep your family safe

By Bridget Russell, Aquatics Supervisor

As we approach summer, it is vital to keep your family safe when enjoying water-related activities. Drowning is the country’s fifth-leading cause of unintentional injury deaths, and about one in five who die from drowning are 14 years old or younger.

As Water Safety Month comes to a close, the City of College Station’s Aquatics Division reminds you to be careful around swimming pools, ponds, rivers, lakes, and oceans. Here are a few resources to help keep your family safe this season:

1. American Red Cross has developed a free, 20-minute online training program called “Water Safety for Parents and Caregivers.” The ARC’s website also offers helpful tips for emergencies and includes important swimming guidelines.
2. Colin’s Hope is a drowning prevention non-profit organization that provides resources, information, and fundraising to help prevent drowning deaths. Its website offers prevention tips, safety resources, and even a quiz to test your knowledge.    
3. Pool Safely is a national public education campaign launched by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to reduce childhood drownings, submersion injuries, and entrapments. Its website offers essential information about safety.

With families spending more time at home, the risk of drowning has increased. It’s crucial to integrate water safety rules into your family’s daily routine.

Stay safe and have a great summer!

About the Blogger

Bridget Russell has been with the City of College Station since 2012 and has served as the aquatics supervisor since 2017. She was a lifeguard at Texas A&M for almost three years after serving as an administrative clerk for the U.S. Marine Corps from 2005-11. Bridget earned bachelor’s (2011) and master’s (2012) degrees in sport management from A&M.

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