45. National Safe Boating Council:
• 2018 – 19 Life Jacket Wear Rate Team.
- Working group of 10 – 12 individuals
• Ready, Set, Wear-it event streamlining.
• Resources: pledge cards, fact sheets, etc.
• Increased levels of public outreach.
77. Kids Don’t Float Ambassador Mission:
Ambassador program provides lifesaving
information to teens that empowers them to be a
positive influence in their community. This fun,
interactive approach focuses on prevention,
survival in cold water, the life saving edge provided
by life jackets, and other safe boating practices.
78. Kids Don’t Float Program Objectives:
• Work effectively in a team oriented environment.
• Ability to prepare a lesson plan.
• Develop public speaking skills and effective
teaching techniques.
• Evaluate self and peers to improve content
• Network with other KDF Ambassadors statewide.
79. Kids Don’t Float Program Messages:
1. Cold water Immersion.
2. Alaska’s life jacket law.
3. Choosing the right life jackets and using them.
80. The program teaches children cold water
safety because they:
1. Become empowered as boaters.
2. Become influencers of adults on board.
3. Improve the boating safety culture by normalizing
life jacket wear.
90. Ed Huntsman
RBS Program Manager
Eighth Coast Guard District
Edward.L.Huntsman@uscg.mil
(504) 671-2148
Editor's Notes
English policemen testing new life jackets during training by jumping into the water at the West India Docks in London “about” 1930.
In 1990, Kim and Stew Leonard founded the Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation in memory of their son, who lost his life a year earlier at the age of 21 months in a drowning accident in 1989. This sparked his parents to pledge that they would do everything in their power to prevent this tragedy from striking other families.
The foundation has raised more than $1 million dollars to go toward water safety awareness and education, including providing swim scholarships.
Joshua’s Story
June 1st 2008
On a warm spring day in June during a family gathering at our home Joshua slipped out of sight for just a few short moments. He was quickly discovered in the backyard pool, unconscious and unresponsive. Family immediately started CPR and he was life flighted to Children’s Hospital in Omaha. After three days of lying by his side in the hospital Joshua was taken off life support and passed away shortly there after. We know Joshua would have been a great young man if given the opportunity. Therefore we decided to create the Joshua Collingsworth Memorial Foundation in his honor and from that day forward we committed to solving the problem of drowning. Joshua’s legacy will continue through the education of parents and children to keep them safe in and around water with new, innovative, safety education training programs and water awareness campaigns.
“Too Brief Here On Earth, But His Impact Will Last Forever…”
Connor Gage – 15 years old.
Labor Day, 2012. Went with friends for a weekend trip to a lake near Dallas – the first time we would ever be in water away from parents.
Connor was not wearing a life vest at the time of his death, though that had always been a family rule when swimming in a lake. Dana and Brett now urge people to take a pledge to always wear a life vest when swimming in lakes, rivers and oceans.
In January 1996 the State of Alaska DHHS CHEMS section announced mini - grants for design and implementation of injury prevention projects. Bob Painter, then Homer Fire Department (HVFD) Assistant Fire Chief, was awarded a grant for Kids Don't Float (KDF). Named after Boston's "Kids Can't Fly" program (started in 1993) which worked in conjunction with the Boston Public Health Commission and the Greater Boston SAFEKIDS Coalition to provide education regarding window falls prevention. That program was pre-dated by "Children Can't Fly" , a health education program developed by the New York City Department of Health, also to combat the high incidence of child mortality and morbidity due to falls from windows. The success of the program, begun in 1972, in drastically reducing death and injury persuaded the New York City Board of Health to amend the Health Code in 1976 to require that landlords provide window guards in apartments where children ten years old and younger reside. The law is the first and only one of its kind in the nation.
The Kids Don't Float project involved life jacket loaner boards and water safety education in a collaborative effort between HVFD, Homer Safe Kids, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, and the Homer School District. Beginning in spring 1996, 15 loaner boards were erected in communities around Kachemak Bay. Alaska's Kids Don't Float loaner program is a partnership, and is currently the largest of its kind in the nation. Coordinated by the State Dept. of Health and Social Services, it is a collaborative effort between the state and federal partners and most importantly the local sponsors. It has become very popular, and more than 600 loaner boards are in service at any given time all around the state. The program also has an education program component, administered and delivered by us.
In 1997, Boat/US Foundation loaner life jacket program began with North Carolina couple applying for a grant for life jackets to loan out to the public.
The Kids Don't Float project involved life jacket loaner boards and water safety education in a collaborative effort between HVFD, Homer Safe Kids, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, and the Homer School District. Beginning in spring 1996, 15 loaner boards were erected in communities around Kachemak Bay. Alaska's Kids Don't Float loaner program is a partnership, and is currently the largest of its kind in the nation. Coordinated by the State Dept. of Health and Social Services, it is a collaborative effort between the state and federal partners and most importantly the local sponsors.
It has become very popular, and more than 600 loaner boards are in service at any given time all around the state.
. It has become very popular, and more than 600 loaner boards are in service at any given time all around the state. The program also has an education program component, administered and delivered by us.
In 1997, Boat/US Foundation loaner life jacket program began with North Carolina couple applying for a grant for life jackets to loan out to the public.
In 1997, Boat/US Foundation loaner life jacket program began with North Carolina couple applying for a grant for life jackets to loan out to the public.
Soon after the loaner boards went up, the Alaska Boating Safety Program was formed. Jeff Johnson was appointed as the state’s first boating law administrator, BLA, and through collaborative state-wide efforts an education component was added.