| September 2, 2016 |
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Volume 4 Issue 26 |
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| DROWNINGS IN ORANGE COUNTY |
| YEAR |
DROWNING INCIDENTS |
FATALITIES |
| 2016* |
68 |
27 |
| 2015 |
118 |
50 |
| 2014 |
86 |
43 |
| *2016 data is for January through September 1, 2016 |
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| OC Drowning Prevention Task Force, Gold Medal-Winning Olympians, and Parents of Victims Work to Save Lives |
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OCFA Captain/Paramedic Steve Concialdi, OCFA Chief Jeff Bowman, OCFA Director/Drowning Prevention Task Force Member/County Supervisor Todd Spitzer, 2016 Gold Medal Olympic Water Polo Players Kaleigh Gilchrist and Makenzie Fischer, OCFA Director/Drowning Prevention Task Force Chairman/Tustin Councilman Al Murray, Newport Beach Lifeguards Chief Rob Williams, Newport Beach Mayor Pro Tem Kevin Muldoon and Newport Beach Police Chief Jon Lewis.) |
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(Portions courtesy of OC Drowning Prevention Task Force)
Drowning Prevention Task Force members, gold medal-winning Olympians, and parents of drowning victims held a press conference to promote awareness around water in advance of Labor Day Weekend. Speakers at Marina Park, with Newport Harbor as a backdrop, highlighted an ongoing media campaign, designating a specific person to watch the water, and the importance of water safety for all age groups regardless of swimming ability.
Supervisor Todd Spitzer created the Orange County Task Force on Drowning Prevention with Irvine City Council Member Jeff Lalloway and Tustin City Council Member Al Murray. The Orange County Task Force on Drowning Prevention is a 25-member advisory panel that includes the heads of countywide public health, public safety, government, non-profit organizations, parents of victims, and Olympic medal-winning swimmers. Supervisor Spitzer, the Orange County Health Care Agency (HCA) and the Board of Supervisors entered into sponsorship agreements with various organizations to receive up to $250,000, to be matched by the Health Care Agency, in support of drowning prevention activities.
“Holiday weekends attract more people to our beaches, which means we need to be even more aware of the safety of people in the water,” said Orange County Task Force on Drowning Prevention Chairman Al Murray, who is also a Tustin Councilman. “Hopefully, our OCTA bus campaign, our outreach in print and on-the-air with radio spots is helping to keep our message out there, at the forefront of people’s minds.”
An Orange County Transit Authority (OCTA) bus, wrapped with a giant public service announcement, was outside the venue where the event was being held. More than 230 similar OCTA busses have drowning prevention campaign messages, as do 400 posters, 80 stand-up banners and 116 radio spots. In addition, HCA has sent direct mail to more than 4,000 operators of public pools. |
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“It is essential that if you’re around the water, at a pool or at the beach, to designate a responsible adult to be a ‘Water Watcher,’ someone who will pay complete attention to people in the water, without distraction,” said Supervisor Todd Spitzer, as he held a “Water Watcher” tag high in the air. “Even at the beach, a ‘Water Watcher’ can provide critical assistance for our busy lifeguards on Labor Day Weekend. No one should ever be in the water alone, adult or child, because the other person may be the one who saves a life.” Spitzer worked with HCA to provide permitted pool operators with laminated poster and water watcher tags.
The OCTA bus public service announcements were developed from focus group input by HCA staff, who also serve on the task force, in partnership with Westbound Communications and OCTA. The campaign is focused on children and adults with the taglines, “It Only Takes Seconds to Drown; Always Watch Your Child Around Water,” and “Think Twice Before Swimming Alone, Never Swim Alone.”
“Growing up in Newport and spending countless hours in the pool, and in the ocean, I learned the importance of water safety at a very early age,” said Kaleigh Gilchrist, 2016 gold medal-winning Olympic water polo team member. “Having consistent awareness of your surroundings, of your friends and of yourself, is the key to a successful, fun, and safe day in the water.”
Thus far in 2016, 21 drowning incidents have involved children up to 4 years of age, two have been fatal. At this time last year, there were 29 incidents and four were fatal. With adults, 65 and older, in 2016 there have been seven incidents and seven fatalities. At this time in 2015, there were eight incidents and seven fatalities.
In 2015, 40 incidents involved children up to 4 years of age, five incidents were fatal. There were 30 drowning incidents in 2015 involving adults 55 years of age and older, 22 were fatal, nearly half of all drowning fatalities for the year.
According to HCA and the Centers for Disease Control, drowning remains the number one cause of accidental death for children 1 to 4 years of age. Seniors, 65 years and older, especially older males, are the most at risk for drowning incidents. They also have the highest drowning incident death rate. |
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| Supervisor Todd Spitzer to Host Pet Adoption Event This Weekend |
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Click on the image above to view a PDF version. |
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This Labor Day weekend, Supervisor Todd Spitzer will host a free pet adoption weekend for Saturday, September 3 and Sunday, September 4. The event will be held at the OC Animal Shelter located at 561 The City Drive South, Orange, California 92868, during the shelter’s normal working business hours from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.
“I am really excited and pleased to announce this free pet adoption! This is a great opportunity for the pets in the shelter to be rescued and to go to great homes. Please come out and support this event and bring home a new family member,” said Supervisor Spitzer.
The event will feature free pet adoption, a savings of $89 to $124, but adopters will still need to pay the microchip fee of $17 and the licensing fee of $27. |
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| September is National Emergency Preparedness Month |
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Emergency Preparedness Backpacks |
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(Portions courtesy of OC Sheriff Department)
September is National Emergency Preparedness Month and county residents are encouraged to prepare and plan for emergency and disaster events. The time is now to make a commitment to be a survivor.
September marks National Preparedness Month, which was created after September 11, 2001, to increase preparedness in the United States. First responders and emergency managers understand that there will be an overwhelming demand to reach people in distress following a disaster. Getting to every person quickly following an emergency will simply not be possible – especially if roads are damaged and power is out. It’s imperative that community members take the necessary steps to prepare for emergencies. The more people who are prepared for a disaster, the quicker the community will recover afterwards. Find out more about National Preparedness Month at http://www.ready.gov/september.
It is a time to everyone to prepare themselves, their family and their loved ones for any emergency. Follow these three steps:
- Get a Kit: Keep enough emergency supplies on hand for you and those in your care, including water, non-perishable food, first aid, prescriptions, flashlights and a battery-powered radio. For a complete checklist of supplies, visit www.ReadyOC.org.
- Make a Plan: Discuss, agree on, and document an emergency plan with those in your care. For sample plans, see www.ReadyOC.org. Work with your neighbors, colleagues and others to build a community network of resilience.
- Be Informed: Information is available to assist you from federal, state and local resources. You can find preparedness information by:
- Signing up for emergency alerts and notifications at www.AlertOC.com.
- Accessing www.ReadyOC.org to learn what to do before, during, and after an emergency.
- Contacting your local emergency management department and ask for a tour and information about preparedness.
As part of National Emergency Preparedness Month, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Emergency Management Division will be providing emergency backpacks filled with more than 283 items that will contain supplies for safety and self-sufficiency for one person up to six days or for two people up to three days. For more information and the opportunity to win one of the emergency backpacks, visit the Sheriff’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OCSheriff/ throughout the month of September. |
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| John Wayne Airport Offers Travel Tips for the Labor Day Holiday |
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John Wayne Airport |
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(Portions courtesy of John Wayne Airport)
John Wayne Airport (JWA) anticipates a busier-than-normal travel period from Thursday, September 1 through Tuesday, September 6 during the Labor Day holiday weekend. More than 165,000 passengers traveled through JWA during the same period in 2015 with the busiest travel days being the Thursday and Friday before and the Tuesday following Labor Day.
John Wayne Airport has experienced higher passenger volume than usual this summer, and that trend is expected to continue during peak travel periods and holidays. JWA travelers can visit www.ocair.com for real-time flight status, parking availability, and road closures and construction activity near John Wayne Airport.
Travel Tips from John Wayne Airport
- All passengers flying out of JWA are encouraged to arrive 90 minutes to two hours before the scheduled departure time for domestic flights and three hours for international flights to find parking, check luggage and go through the security screening checkpoint. Passengers who are members of TSA Pre✓™ can expedite the screening process in Terminals A, B and C.
- Passengers are allowed one small carry-on bag plus one personal item as long as the carry-on bag fits airline dimensions. Check with individual airlines for specifics. For helpful information about the 3-1-1 liquids rule for carry-on bags and other travel tips from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) please visit the TSA website.
- Travelers are encouraged to be aware of their surroundings and report questionable objects or activities, "If You See Something, Say Something™." To report a suspicious object or activity in the Riley Terminal, dial 0 from a white courtesy phone to reach an operator, or dial 2-5000 to reach Airport Police Services or notify an Airport employee or a uniformed officer. Guests may also dial 949-252-5200 from a mobile device.
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| Pet of the Week |
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Click on the image above to view a PDF version. |
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| Events Around the District |
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Click on the image above to view a PDF version. |
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Anaheim
Toddler Stories and Playtime
Friday, September 9, 10:30 AM
Anaheim Public Library – Canyon Hills Branch, 400 Scout Trail
Family Story Time
Saturday, September 10, 11:00 AM
Anaheim Public Library – East Anaheim Branch, 8201 E Santa Ana Canyon Rd.
Irvine
Rhythm Exhibition Reception
Sunday, September 4, 10:00 AM
Orange County Great Park, 6950 Marine Way
Farmers Market
Sunday, September 4, 10:00 AM
Orange County Great Park, 6950 Marine Way
Orange
Manners Matter
Friday, September 9, 3:30 PM
Orange Public Library & History Center, 407 E. Chapman Ave.
STEAM for Teens: 3D Printing
Saturday, September 10, 2:00 PM
Orange Public Library & History Center, 407 E. Chapman Ave.
Silverado
Pilates
Wednesday, September 7, 5:30 PM
Silverado Community Center, Building A, 27641 Silverado Canyon Rd.
Silverado Summer Concert Series, featuring bands Horse-Fed Buffalo, Echo Sparks and Tommy Reiser & Friends
Saturday, September 17, 6:00 PM
Silverado Fairgrounds, 27641 Silverado Canyon Rd.
Tustin
Farmers Market
Wednesday, September 7, 9:00 AM
El Camino Real & 3rd St.
Tustin Tiller Days
Friday, September 30 – October 2
Villa Park
Let’s Talk about It!
Wednesday, September 21, 9:00 AM
Orange County Public Library – Villa Park Branch, 17865 Santiago Blvd.
Pet Fair 2K Dog Walk
Saturday, September 24, 9:00 AM
VP Greenbelt at Wanda/Lincoln
Yorba Linda
Nixon Library Concert, Chamber Music, Trio Celeste
Sunday, September 4, 1:30 PM
Richard Nixon Presidential Library & Museum, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd.
Fall Kids Community Swap Meet
Saturday, September 17, 8:00 AM
Yorba Linda Community Center, 4501 Casa Loma Ave.
For questions or comments regarding Spitzer’s E-Newsletter
please contact the Supervisor's office staff at: (714) 834-3330 or Melanie.Eustice@ocgov.com
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