Brochures Include Water Safety Messages
Speaking with one voice across the Consortium
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How do you talk about water safety?
We all talk about water safety and we try our best to be clear and concise, yet it takes hearing the same message several times before people understand it, believe it, and act on it.
So, the Messaging & Media Committee of the GLWSC has been working on key messages and ways to say them. Representing many different organizations and areas of the Great Lakes, the committee kept in mind that the Consortium is a "community of BEST practice" as they compiled and narrowed down the best of the best messages, based on research and their own experience wth what resonates with people and influences them to be safer in the water.
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At our conferences in April we discussed the importance of not only having universal messages, but that everyone needs to use them for us to make a difference. Many of us have our canned presentations and don't want to change them, but we can only accelerate our progress if we make the most of our collective expertise and efforts, so please download these few boilerplate GLWSC slides to insert into your next presentation that include our new universal key messages, from the About page on our website.
Organized into how to avoid, escape, and safely save others from dangerous waves and currents, these messages are included in our new GLWSC brochure, which may be printed, posted, and shared. And if you'd like some printed copies to distribute, contact Rhett Register at Michigan Sea Grant, who generously covered the printing costs and helped with the content and design.
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The Consortium's first brochure features universal messages everyone should be using.
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Know Someone Who Loves Spreadsheets? Nominate Them to Be Our First Treasurer
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As the GLWSC finalizes the steps to become a 501c3 nonprofit organization, it needs to name at least three people to its Board of Directors, including a Treasurer.
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Working closely with the Executive Director Jamie Racklyeft, the Treasurer is responsible for general financial oversight, financial planning, bookkeeping, and reporting.
Already named to the Board are: Jamie Racklyeft, President; Megan Dodson, Secretary; Gene Clark, Board Member; and Bob Dukesherer, Board Member.
If you know someone who enjoys and has some experience with financial management, please nominate them by emailing Jamie Racklyeft.
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Your Input Needed for Ice Safety Program
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GLWSC member and Fire Chief for the City of Marquette, Michigan Ian Davis requests that you complete a brief survey for a research study on mitigating cold water immersion injuries through the formulation an ice safety program.
Please complete the online survey here. |
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Consistently Being Consistent
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Even though we just came together as a Consortium late last year, I challenged our committees to present some deliverables at our conferences in April. Everyone came through with something to present and discuss, even if just a progress report or a draft deliverable, which was excellent.
What I'm especially proud of right now is our Messaging & Media Committee, which recently completed two deliverables in one: universal lifesaving water safety messages, and a print brochure with them inside.
While it's challenging for any group to come to consensus on anything, we agreed on several messages under the categories of how to Avoid, Escape, and Safely Save Others from dangerous waves and currents.
Now, what's most important is that we are all consistently consistent in repeating these key messages every chance we get. Whether it's a one-on-one talk with Aunt Loretta, presenting to a large group of kids, or being interviewed by the media, we can make a difference by repeating these lifesaving messages. Something like:
"We want to end drowning in the Great Lakes by helping people avoid, escape, and safely save others from dangerous waves and currents. To AVOID drowning, Know Before You Go by checking with the National Weather Service for forecasts and warnings, Stay Dry When Waves Are High, When in Doubt Don't Go Out, Buddy Up, and Steer Clear of the Pier. To ESCAPE drowning, Don't Fight the Current, Yell for Help, and Flip, Float & Follow – Flip onto your back and stay calm, Float to keep your head above water and conserve energy, and Follow the safest path out of the water by swimming to the side or at least staying afloat. To SAFELY SAVE OTHERS, Designate a Water Watcher who Knows the Signs of Drowning - subtle and silent, not waving and splashing, Save Yourself First by only going out with a flotation device, and practicing Preach, Reach, Throw, Row - don't become a victim trying to save someone else."
We shouldn't all say it exactly the same way, but If we would all say something like that whenever we have the opportunity, these simple water safety messages can save more lives than ever before.
Thank you to our M&M Committee: Dave Benjamin, Holly Alway, Rose Ann Davis, Dan Jordan, Harve Norris, Rhett Register, Cindy Beth Davis Dykema, Rob Quinn, Tom O'Hare, Ed Russo, Bob Dukesherer, and Megan Dodson.
And thank you for all you do to keep people safer in the water.
Jamie
Jamie Racklyeft
Executive Director,
Great Lakes Water Safety Consortium
Rip Current Survivor
jracklye@glwsc.org
P.S. I'll be at the Beach Survival Challenge in Grand Haven this weekend handing out our new brochures and talking up these water safety messages. Hope to see you there.
P.P.S. Keep in touch via our many collaboration tools...
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