DOH-Charlotte events and workshops
Visit DOH-Charlotte’s events page to learn about upcoming events and workshops:
The Florida Department of Health in Charlotte County’s (DOH-Charlotte) Community Health Planning, Promotion, and Communication division offers the following drowning prevention and water safety programs and tools to eligible Charlotte County, Florida, residents as supplies last:
- Pool Alarms – These devices have motion sensors which alert homeowners when movement is detected in the pool.
- Swimming Lesson Voucher Program – This program increases water safety and prevents drownings in Florida by providing free swimming lessons to eligible Florida families.
APPLICATION PERIOD IS OPEN
The Swimming Lesson Voucher Program will accept applications and award vouchers until funding is exhausted.
Water Safety
Drowning is a leading cause of death for children in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More children ages 1 to 4 die from drowning than any other cause of death. For children ages 5 to 14, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death after motor vehicle crashes.
In 2024, Charlotte County’s rate of unintentional drownings was 4.6 per 100,000 population, higher than Florida’s 1.9 per 100,000, according to FLHealthCHARTS.gov.
Water Safety Tips
Practice Active Supervision
Give children and family your undivided attention, and actively supervise them when they are in or around water. Small children can drown in as little as one inch of water, so an adult should never be more than one arm’s length away from children when swimming. Use the Water Watcher strategy to prevent lapses in supervision at the pool or beach. To receive a Water Watcher tag that will designate an adult as the Water Watcher while family members swim, please refer to Safe Kids Worldwide’s Water Watcher Card.
Educate Your Family on Swimming Safety
Educate yourself and children about swimming safety and the importance of knowing how to swim. Whether swimming in a backyard pool or at the beach, it is important for all individuals to know how to swim. If they do not know how to swim, they should enroll in swimming lessons to learn and remain safe in the water. Also, individuals should always swim with a partner, no matter their experience level. If caught in a current, stay calm, don’t fight it, and either float with it or swim parallel to the shore.
Reduce Infection from Water
Certain types of organisms can be found in water and can lead to a variety of illnesses. Precautions to reduce infection are:
- Avoid swallowing water and keep mouth closed when in a body of water, like the ocean.
- Avoid water-related activities in bodies of warm freshwater and thermally-polluted water, such as water around power plants.
- Avoid water-related activities in warm freshwater during periods of high-water temperature and low water levels.
- Hold the nose shut or use nose clips when taking part in water-related activities in bodies of warm freshwater.
- Avoid digging in or stirring up the sediment while taking part in water-related activities in shallow, warm freshwater areas.
- Use only boiled and cooled, distilled, or sterile water for making sinus rinse solutions for nasal irrigation neti-pots or performing ritual ablutions.
Become CPR Certified
It is important to know how to administer CPR as soon as possible in case of an accident occurring. To learn CPR and rescue techniques, contact the Punta Gorda Fire Department by calling 941-575-5529 or visiting their website.
Use Pool Safety Tools
Be extra careful around pool drains. Educate your family members about the dangers of drain entanglement and teach them to never play or swim near drains or suction outlets. It is also recommended that backyard pools have a barrier installed to keep family members safe. At-home water barriers consist of a pool alarm when a door opens from a home, a pool fencing of at least five feet tall around the pool, and gates with self-latching mechanism.
Wear Life Jackets
Children should always wear a life jacket approved by the U.S. Coast Guard while on boats, around open bodies of water, or when participating in water sports. When boating, all passengers should have a life jacket that fits snugly. Additionally, boat drivers should obey all signs in the waterway and should not drink alcohol while operating a boat.