EMS implements plans to reduce drowning incidents this festive season
Residents are urged to work with the EMS to make Johannesburg safe and for any life-threatening emergencies they can call 10177/112 or 011 375 5911.
Summer is here and many people will be going to swimming pools to have fun. With the aim of reducing drowning incidents, City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services has noted with concern the number of those incidents that occur during summer.
According to Robert Mulaudzi of the EMS, they are working towards such incidents and they will be launching the City’s Learn how to swim campaign “Drowning is Preventable”.
The campaign will start at the Eldorado Park Swimming Pool and will go on to other pools in Soweto in partnership with MMC of Public Safety, Cllr Micheal Sun and MMC of Community Development Cllr Nonhlanhla Sifumba.
Mulaudzi said statistics indicate that a huge number of drowning incidents happen in homes and children under the age of five become victims.
“It is vital that parents supervise their children all the times while swimming even if they have received professional lessons,” said Mulaudzi.
@CityofJoburgEMS Some of the school learners from EldoradoPark who attended the #WaterSafetyCampaign launch this morning in Eldos ext 4 @CityofJoburgZA @CoJPublicSafety #CreatingSaferCommunities pic.twitter.com/UgwkkbW4c0
— Cojems Spokesperson (@RobertMulaudzi) October 29, 2018
He said EMS has partnered with Community Development, Swimming South Africa and primary schools in and around the City of Johannesburg to roll out the learn how to swim campaign.
The collaboration is principle upon a strategic goal to increase on the accessibility of public swimming pools to the community and to ensure that children are empowered with a swimming skill and also measures to take during flooding incidents.
Today the MMC @MichaelSun168 is launching the Water Safety campaign in Eldorado Park with @CityofJoburgEMS and Swim South Africa #PublicSafetyCares #watersafety pic.twitter.com/wbP1quvX7n
— Joburg Public Safety (@CoJPublicSafety) October 29, 2018
According to Mulaudzi, EMS has recorded and responded to 93 water-related incidents, drowning and near-drowning incidents between January to October 2018 within the City of Johannesburg compared to 80 recorded around the same period in 2017.
He said they still attended to a number of incidents involving young children throughout the City hence their main focus is targeted to young school children to empower them with the necessary skills in order not only to prevent drowning incidents but also to be able to conduct themselves around swimming pools.
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