FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:    Capt. Dave Wheaton, Lee County EMS, (941) 335-1661
                Diane Holm, Lee County Health Department, (941) 332-9590

FORT MYERS, Fla. (November 1, 2001) – The first day care centers participating in a new program designed to prevent drownings by youngsters will start their lessons Tuesday (Nov. 6) at two Lee County community pools.

The Learn to Swim Safely Program is funded through a $59,239 grant from the Florida Department of Health and a 25 percent match of funds ($19,746) from Lee County. The program is being administered by the local Health Department’s Injury Prevention Section with assistance from Lee County EMS and Parks & Recreation, the Lee County Injury Prevention Coalition and the Drowning Prevention Task Force.

The program is aimed at four- and five-year-olds and has the goal of teaching 790 children to swim.

Tuesday’s participating day cares are:

• ABC Learning Academy, 10 a.m., at North Fort Myers Community Pool, 5170 Orange Grove Blvd. The eight, ½-hour lessons will run through the 16^th. The parents’ component will be held the 17^th at 10 a.m.

• Learning Village, 10 a.m., at Lehigh Acres Community Pool, 1400 W. 5^th St. The four, hour-long classes will run through the 9^th. The parents’ component will be held the 10^th at 10 a.m.

Lee County Emergency Dispatch records show that EMS responded to 85 near drownings and nine drownings during 1999 and 2000, with 57 of those being children between the ages of one and 10. Of the calls, 51 took place in residential pools with six confirmed drownings.

A review of the data by local agencies identified a need for a comprehensive "Learn to Swim Safely" program for four- and five-year-olds who do not have swimming or water-safety skills. Because many four- and five-year-olds are in a day care setting during work days (2,864 local children, according to Child Care of Southwest Florida), it was determined that the program should be marketed directly to the day cares.

The American Red Cross "Learn to Swim Safely" sessions are conducted by Lee County Parks and Recreation Aquatics lifeguards. Upon completion of the program, each participant will have learned enough swimming skills to swim or stay afloat while waiting to be rescued. An education component for the parents of the children also is provided.

Each parent receives a brochure outlining the objectives of the program. Upon program completion, parents will attend a session at the pool to observe the swim and water-safety skills their children have learned. The parents also will participate in a basic water rescue skills session, including rescue breathing and CPR techniques.