Cherokee County
Fire & Emergency Services
Fire & Emergency Services
Safe Kids Cherokee County, led by Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services (CCFES), participated in the “WEAR IT” Campaign yesterday as we kicked-off National Safe Boating Week.
The purpose of the "WEAR IT” Campaign is to encourage life jacket use and heighten awareness of different types of life jackets. This is an annual event where pictures are taken and uploaded through social media to spread the word.
US Coast Guard statistics show that drowning was the reported cause of death in four of every five recreational boating fatalities in 2021 with 83% of victims not wearing life jackets.
Safe Kids Cherokee County has worked for years to make our waterways safer for the community. Through programs like Life Jacket Loaner Stations, set up around Lake Allatoona, Rope Mill Park, and Etowah River Park, we provide lifejackets to borrow and return while boating, kayaking, paddle boarding or even swimming. Last year we installed a station at the Boy Scouts' Lake Allatoona Aquatics Base Camp as well.
Safe Kids Cherokee County’s partnership with The US Army Corps of Engineers encourages safe boating and swimming through their Ranger Card program where children can collect baseball type cards from the Rangers by answering water safety questions. They then earn prizes based on the number they have collected.
Whether on a boat, kayak, or paddleboard remember to have life jackets for every boater. Any child under 13 must wear a life jacket while boating. Additionally, anyone with a fear of the water or not skilled in swimming must wear a life jacket. We also ask the public to please remember to always supervise your children in the water. Don’t count on a lifeguard to be responsible for your child.
For more information regarding water safety visit www.safekidscherokeecounty.org or call 678-493-4343.
For more information about the “WEAR IT” Campaign, visit www.safeboatingcampaign.com.
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ABOUT CCFES
Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services is a full service, county-run organization, providing firefighting and emergency services to the residents and visitors of Cherokee County. The agency boasts an Insurance Service Office rating of 2 and International Accreditation through the Center of Public Safety Excellence. The agency has 27 stations covering 434 square miles and serving a population of nearly 275,000. To learn more about CCFES or how to join the team, visit www.cherokeecountyfire.com.
ABOUT SAFE KIDS CHEROKEE COUNTY
Safe Kids Cherokee County, led by Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services, is a local coalition through Safe Kids Worldwide, a global organization dedicated to preventing injuries in children, the number one killer of kids in the United States. Safe Kids Cherokee County is one of 31 local coalitions in Georgia implementing safety programs and hands-on training. We provide public education programs, facilitate engineering and environmental modifications, enact, and enforce laws and regulations and conduct research to drive our programs and determine the efficacy of our efforts.
