Taunton, MA – The Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro South implemented a brand-new drowning detection system called WAVE at their Camp Riverside location in Taunton. On Thursday, August 25th at 2:30 PM Taunton Mayor Shaunna O’Connell and several local public safety leaders including a representative from Taunton’s search and rescue dive team will observe a demo of the new system at Camp Riverside. Local media is invited to attend.
Even though their camp has dedicated and vigilant staff watching over the welfare of those in the water, the risk of drowning is always present. This new drowning detection system provides another layer of security to the established protocol of water safety, as an extra precaution because safety is BGCMS’ highest priority.
“This is the first system I have seen that actually helps lifeguards,” said Brendan Roy, Aquatics Director of BGCMS. “It is truly a game changer in Youth aquatics and here at Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro South.”
Electronic monitoring does not replace the need for active lifeguard scanning and surveillance. This innovative technology was implemented to enhance lifeguarding and increase swimmer safety. WAVE utilizes a comfortable, lightweight, headband-like device to monitor how long each swimmer's face is fully submerged under water. If someone submerges beyond the maximum safe allowable time, the WAVE system immediately alerts lifeguards so they can intervene – well before the event can turn dangerous.
“We were honored to roll out this new technology at our beautiful Camp Riverside this summer. Safety is our #1 priority, so it is imperative for our organization to continuously search for new and improved ways of providing the best youth safety that we can. And we’ve definitely accomplished that with WAVE”, said BGCMS President and Chief Advancement Officer, Derek Heim.
BGCMS Aquatics staff are dedicated to safety in and around water for every Club member and camper. All Aquatics staff are trained and certified in lifeguarding, CPR/AED, First Aid & Emergency Oxygen. In addition to these, BGCMS also has monthly in-service trainings which focus on different areas of risk and prevention, skills drills, and scenarios.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro South is elated to be implementing a supplemental level of water safety at their Camp Riverside location and will continue using WAVE at their Taunton Clubhouse indoor pool for swim lessons. Being able to provide preventative protection and make the full experience of BGCMS members even safer and more secure falls right into line with the BGCMS mission of providing safe and fun environments for youth.
ABOUT BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF METRO SOUTH
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro South (BGCMS) was formed in 2019 through the merger of the Boys & Girls Club of Brockton (founded in 1990) and the Boys & Girls Club of Taunton (founded in 1902) and serves more than 2,000 boys and girls ages 4-18 each year. Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro South’s high-impact out-of-school-time enrichment programs help kids establish positive peer and adult relationships, succeed in school, lead healthy lifestyles, develop good character and leadership skills, and so much more. Visit bgcmetrosouth.org to learn why “GREAT FUTURES START HERE!”
ABOUT WAVE DROWNING PREVENTION SYSTEMS
Co-founders Mark Caron and Dave Cutler founded WAVE after a tragedy at a town park where Dave lived. A nine-year-old boy drowned despite five lifeguards and six camp counselors watching the water that day. After learning that drowning is all too common and that most are preventable, Mark and Dave, assembled a dedicated team of water safety experts, aquatic professionals, engineers, and designers and set out to create a reliable, simple to use, and affordable drowning detection system. The result of their collective efforts is WAVE, and it will change aquatic safety forever.
WAVE is based in Westport, Connecticut.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WAVE DROWNING DETECTION SYSTEMS VISIT: saferswimming.com
DROWNING STATISTICS
Drowning is the #1 cause of accidental injury-related death for children under the age of five. It is the #2 cause for ages 1-14. The CDC says in swimming pools, Black children ages 10-14 years drown at rates 7.6 times higher than White children. Drowning Facts | Drowning Prevention | CDC.
In 2020, drowning was the leading cause of unintentional injury death among Massachusetts children ages 1-14, whereas it was the 2nd leading cause of unintentional injury death nationally. In addition, children ages 1-4 had the highest rates of drownings in Massachusetts among children ages 17 and younger. Mass Drowning Statistics
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