SUBJECT
Title
ENHANCING DROWNING PREVENTION OPPORTUNITIES FOR SAN DIEGO COUNTY YOUTH (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
Swimming is a life skill that is not easily accessible to all residents throughout our communities. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 79% of children in households with incomes less than $50,000 have little-to-no swimming ability; This includes 64% of African American, 45% of Hispanic/Latino, and 40% of Caucasian children.
One in five people who die from accidental drownings are children 14 years of age and younger. In California, drowning is a leading cause of injury-related deaths among children under the age of five. For every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries. More than 50% of drowning victims treated in emergency rooms require hospitalization for nonfatal drownings, however, injuries can include severe brain damage that may result in long-term disabilities such as memory problems, learning disabilities, and permanent loss of basic functioning. Formal swimming lessons reduce the likelihood of childhood drowning by 88%.
During the period from 2014 through 2020, an annual average of 28 residents died due to drowning, 45 residents were hospitalized, and 117 residents were discharged from the emergency department due to drowning or near drowning in San Diego County. Additionally, in 2019, 100 fatal and non-fatal drownings went through Rady Children's Hospital. Addressing this disparity in our region will save lives and help address equity within our many communities by adding opportunities for San Diego County children to learn basic drowning prevention skills.
Today’s recommendation directs the Chief Administrative Officer to work with existing partners focused on drowning prevention to develop a drowning prevention outreach campaign in collaboration with First 5 San Diego in support of the Live Well San Diego vision for healthy, safe and thriving communities. These efforts will support a grant for up to $250,000 to an organization that will administer grant funds to licensed swim programs in the San Diego County, including all municipalities, to teach underserved children basic drowning prevention skills and swimming lessons in San Diego County.
RECOMMENDATION(S)
SUPERVISOR JIM DESMOND AND SUPERVISOR NORA VARGAS
1. Direct the Chief Administrative Officer to work with existing partners focused on drowning prevention to develop a water safety media outreach campaign, in collaboration with First 5 San Diego in support of the Live Well San Diego vision to encourage water safety by educating and informing parents on drowning prevention protocols.
2. Direct the Chief Administrative Officer to develop partnership opportunities with relevant organizations by administering grants for swimming lessons and drowning prevention skills for underserved children up to $250,000. Additionally, define the criteria for underserved children using the California Healthy Places Index, communities falling in the fourth quartile (Health Equity Quartile).
3. Direct the Chief Administrative Officer to conduct an assessment on incidences of drowning throughout San Diego County and the current resources available to prevent drowning to ensure that resources reflect the need.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funds for this request are included in the Fiscal Year 2021-22 CAO Recommended Operational Plan in Health and Human Services Agency. If approved, this request will result in estimated costs and revenue of up to $500,000, including grants for swimming lessons and drowning prevention skills, as well as other media outreach and education campaign costs as necessary. The funding source is available prior year General Fund fund balance. There will be no additional staff years.
BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT
N/A
Details
ADVISORY BOARD STATEMENT
N/A
BACKGROUND
Children’s accessibility to water in San Diego County is high with 70 miles of coastline, 20 freshwater lakes, 7,466 public permitted bodies of water such as apartment complex swimming pools and many backyard pools. In 2018 there were 47 drowning deaths, 55 hospital discharge for near drowning and 87 emergency department discharges for near drownings in San Diego County. Additionally, in 2019, 100 fatal and non-fatal drownings went through Rady Children's Hospital.
This action seeks to partner with organizations to save lives by providing grants to fund swim lessons for underserved youth and providing aquatic safety education for all.
Additionally, this request will develop a “Water Safety and Drowning Prevention” outreach campaign to encourage water safety by educating and informing parents on drowning prevention protocols.
As an example, in 2019, the Prevent Drowning Foundation of San Diego provided grants that taught 5,121 underserved children how to swim and basic drowning prevention skills to school districts including San Diego Unified School District, National School District, King Chavez Neighborhood of Schools and High-Tech High Charter Schools. Additionally, grants were provided to Barrio Station Pool, City of San Diego (general lessons, Portable Pools swimming lessons and Parent and Toddler Workshops), City of San Diego Portable Pools City of San Diego Parent and Toddler Workshops, City of Chula Vista, City of National City, City of El Cajon, YMCA of Greater San Diego, Boys and Girls Club Solana Beach, Ocean Discovery, Outdoor Outreach, Face in Water, Autism Tree Foundation, Autism Society of San Diego, Refugee Network, La Maestra, Bridge of Hope, Episcopal Refugee Network, Out of the Boat, Star/Pal, City Heights Village Townhomes and City Heights Square.
The Prevent Drowning Foundation of San Diego believes drowning is preventable and it is their vision to teach every child in San Diego how to swim. Since 2009, their purpose has been simple, they do everything they can to prevent drowning and save lives of children by targeting under-served communities that need swim lessons and aquatic water and ocean safety education. With local schools, community, and aquatic partners, they have impacted tens of thousands of young people in San Diego County and made their lives safer and more enjoyable.
LINKAGE TO THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO STRATEGIC PLAN
Today’s proposed action supports the Safe Communities initiative of the County of San Diego’s 2021-2026 Strategic Plan by creating a water safety outreach campaign and providing drowning prevention opportunities for San Diego County youth.
Respectfully submitted,
JIM DESMOND NORA VARGAS
Supervisor, 5th District Supervisor, 1st District
ATTACHMENT(S)
N/A
AGENDA ITEM INFORMATION SHEET
REQUIRES FOUR VOTES: ☐ Yes ☒ No
WRITTEN DISCLOSURE PER COUNTY CHARTER SECTION 1000.1 REQUIRED
☐ Yes ☒ No
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PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOARD ACTIONS: N/A |
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BOARD POLICIES APPLICABLE: N/A |
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BOARD POLICY STATEMENTS: N/A |
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MANDATORY COMPLIANCE: N/A |
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ORACLE AWARD NUMBER(S) AND CONTRACT AND/OR REQUISITION NUMBER(S): N/A |
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ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT: Supervisor District 5 and Supervisor District 1 |
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OTHER CONCURRENCE(S): |
N/A |
CONTACT PERSON(S):
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Donna Cleary |
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Andrew Feaster |
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Name |
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Name |
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619-531-5555 |
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619-531-5511 |
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Phone |
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Phone |
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Donna.cleary@sdcounty.ca.gov |
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Andrew.Feaster@sdcounty.ca.gov |
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E-mail |
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E-mail |