Know Before You Go

Children's Health℠ is partnering with the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas, Alliance Data, the Dallas Area Safe Kids Coalition and IPSSA on the Know Before You Go drowning prevention campaign to educate families about the dangers of drowning and the rules of water safety.

The Know Before You Go program spreads the message that every drowning is preventable when parents take appropriate precautions. Tips on how to stay safe in the water are taught, as are demonstrations on proper CPR techniques and the use of flotation devices. 

Reaching out to support the families of our communities is at the heart of the Children’s mission. Ensuring the safety and the well-being of all children through community programs that are developed and/or conducted by our pediatric-trained experts is a top priority for our hospital, our employees and our medical staff. 

Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children ages one to four, and the second leading cause of accidental death for children under 14. Each year emergency rooms treat 3,500 children for near-drowning incidents.

The three main points of the campaign center on:

• Test & Teach: YMCAs offer free swim assessments to test a child’s swimming skills.
• Watch & Guard: Assign an adult to supervise all pool activities, and create barriers around a pool.
• Throw, Don’t Go: Throw a flotation device or use a pole to reach a drowning child or adult. Never jump in the water to attempt to save someone who is drowning.

Free swimming safety presentations are available for schools, churches or community groups.  The initiative also conducts drowning prevention presentations throughout the community.

Another program under the Know Before You Go umbrella is Make a Splash. Certified YMCA lifeguards and swim instructors from the Dallas YMCA go into low-income apartment complexes to offer free swim lessons to children.

The Know Before You Go program is working with the Safe Kids Worldwide global network to create a professional curriculum that could become the model for all Safe Kids water safety programs.