Babylon Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer recently joined with his colleagues on the Town Board to declare the month of June as “Drowning Prevention and Water Safety Awareness Month.’ Joining with the Long Island Drowning Prevention Task Force, the Town of Babylon supports raising awareness about water safety and the risk of drowning, which is the main cause of death for children ages one through five. Bobby Hazen, founder of the Long Island Drowning Prevention Task Force, was in attendance at the board meeting to thank the councilmembers for their commitment to the issue. Joining Supervisor Schaffer for the vote were Deputy Supervisor Tony Martinez, Councilwoman Jackie Gordon, Councilman Tom Donnelly and Councilman Lindsay Henry.
Please keep in mind these important reminders when enjoying the water this summer:
- Make sure children using the pool are supervised at all times as 90% of drowning deaths are found to occur in residential pools.
- Install secure fencing around your pool area.
- Make sure that anyone in the water, adult or child, knows how to swim properly. Review the Town of Babylon’s recreation guide for information about swimming classes in our area.
- Always have a phone nearby in case of emergency.
For any more tips on water safety, visit http://www.lidptf.org.
Supervisor Schaffer is pictured with Long Island Drowning Prevention Task Force founder Bobby Hazen.