One of the main goals of the United States Lifesaving Association is to educate the public about water safety issues and the role of lifeguards. On a national level, the Public Education Committee works to support such initiatives as safety tips, radio and television PSAs, poster contests and distribution of water safety posters, publication of lifeguard manuals, production of magnets, publication of a website and nationally distributed magazine, and Educational Conferences at our National Board of Directors Meetings. Many of the water safety objectives are defined on a national level and participation is a regional decision.

One important initiative that the Pacific Northwest Region supports is National Beach Safety Week. This week is scheduled for the seven days up to and including Memorial Day of each year, and promotional materials highlight the need for public awareness of safety in and around the water. Set to coincide with the beginning of the summer months, local press releases in print, radio, and television provide the public with safety tips for water activities, and advertise the availability of lifeguarded facilities in the area.

On a local scale, many agencies choose to operate Junior Lifeguard programs, provide swim lessons, and develop other water safety programs to serve the public in their area. In the Northwest Region, Junior Lifeguard programs operate at East Bay Regional Parks , Golden Gate National Recreation Area , and City of Sandpoint Recreation Dept. Swim lessons are offered through East Bay , Sandpoint , and City of Bellevue Parks & Recreation . Sonoma County Regional Parks runs a water safety program called SwimSafe for local youth, and distributes printed water safety information weekly at a summer street market. For more information on any of these programs, or how you can be involved, just click on the links to go to the agency pages or the program pages.

One of the most significant advances in public safety in the Northwest Region in recent years has been the institution of a Beach Safety Patrol program at Ocean Beach in San Francisco. In the summer of 1998, there were seven drownings at the unguarded beach, a statistic that spurred the National Park Service's Golden Gate National Recreation Area to provide trained surf rescue professionals. The Park Rangers and the San Francisco Fire Department's Water Rescue Unit, a USLA-certified Aquatic Rescue Response Team , were only able to respond to incidents, rather than act preventatively. The Beach Safety Patrol now has full-time seasonal operations that have prevented countless drownings, and they work in cooperation with the Park Rangers, the Water Rescue Unit, and the U.S. Coast Guard. In the summers since its institution, there have been no further unguarded drownings, while there have been tens of thousands of safety contacts.

In addition to this quality program, many efforts to educate the public about the dangers of Ocean Beach have been initiated, most significantly a video entitled "Be Safe at Ocean Beach" and accompanying lesson plan and website geared to local schoolchildren. Beach Safety Patrol members also work with groups visiting the beach to inform them of the dangers of swimming at Ocean Beach, often giving impromptu water safety lessons. Click on the links above to learn more about the ARRT program, the GGNRA's operations, or to watch the video.