AFAC Promotes Vigilance for Watch Around Water Week

The Armadale Fitness and Aquatic Centre (AFAC) urges parents to be vigilant while their children enjoy any of the five public pools in the centre. While AFAC promotes water safety messages year round, the centre is stepping up its efforts for Watch Around Water Week from Monday 6 – Sunday 12 December to raise awareness of the importance of parental supervision in public pools.

Mayor Ruth Butterfield said it’s important that parents understand that although professional lifeguards are on duty as an important safety measure, parents also play a crucial role in keeping children safe.

“Supervision of young children at public pools is a shared responsibility between parents and lifeguards. Parents supervise and lifeguards save lives. Even if children are competent swimmers, parents need to be in close vicinity of their children in case they get into difficulty. Being in close proximity to your child is also a condition of entry to the pool,” said Mayor Butterfield.

“Watch Around Water is about making sure that everyone goes home safely after visiting the pool. Our pools bring a positive impact to the local community and we want everyone to enjoy them safely.”

AFAC is running a number of fun activities during Watch Around Water Week such as visits from Wendy and Walter the Watchdogs, a colouring-in competition for children under 6 years and between 6 and 10 years, a guess the jellybeans competition, as well as prizes and giveaways throughout the week.

New mega yard games will be launched over the weekend of the 11th and 12th of December. AFAC visitors can play jenga, connect-4, and cornhole. Also on the weekend, new giant inflatable rings will be available to borrow.

Watch Around Water is a campaign educating the public about active supervision and encourages parents and guardians to take responsibility of this role while visiting aquatic facilities. The campaign started in 2004 in response to a number of drowning deaths involving young children at public pools and to address industry concerns regarding parental supervision.