GALVESTON, Texas – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District’s Simon DeSoto, Colorado River lockmaster, earned second and third place awards for his radio water safety public service announcements during the 17th International Boating & Water Safety Summit in San Antonio, Texas.
The radio PSAs “20 seconds to drown” and “Boating accidents, not me” highlight the importance of wearing lifejackets while recreating on the water and alerts listeners to the minimal time it takes for a child to drown – 20 seconds. DeSoto partnered with Happy Radio 92.5 to produce and broadcast the PSAs to a potential audience of 36,000 listeners along the Texas coast. Judges graded the submissions on the clarity of the message, the uniqueness/innovation of the PSA and on the overall boating/water safety message.
“Each year, we work to expand our partnerships with organizations that are dedicated to improving water safety in our communities and informing the public about ways to prevent and reduce water-related fatalities,” said Col. Christopher Sallese, USACE Galveston District commander. “As the leading provider of outdoor recreation on all federally-managed public lands in the nation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will continue to seek the support of community leaders and local organizations to maximize outreach efforts and educate residents and visitors about drowning prevention.”
Most recently, the district together with Safe Kids Greater Houston, kicked off the summer 2013 water safety season and announced a newly-formed partnership with Spanish-language media outlet Telemundo at its 8th annual April Pools Day media event at the Houston Swim Club April 1.
Upcoming water safety events in the USACE Galveston District include:
•April 6 - Grand Kids Event in Galveston
•April 20 - Earth Day with Harris County Precinct 1 (Alexander Duessen Park)
•April 27 - Picnic in the Park (George Bush Park Houston)
The International Boating & Water Safety Summit is the premier event for training, awareness, meeting and networking for professionals involved in the boating and water safety communities.
Contact Kristine Brown at Kristine.N.Brown@usace.army.mil for more information about the upcoming water safety events. For more information and tips on water safety, visit the USACE website at http://watersafety.usace.army.mil/ or http://www.swg.usace.army.mil/BusinessWithUs/PublicAffairsOffice/WaterSafetyProgram.aspx.
To learn more about Safe Kids Greater Houston, visit http://www.safekidsgreaterhouston.org/.