| GUEST EXPERT ON DROWNING AND BEACH SAFETY RUDELY SNUBBED BY TOWN COMMISSIONER WEARING TWO HATS | |
SEPTEMBER 22, 2006 By Anne Siren, Pompano Pelican  “It’s absolutely negligent,” says Dr. John Fletmeyer, referring to the safety of the beaches in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea.
Fletmeyer left the town’s commission meeting, Sept. 14, “very disappointed with his reception [and added he had] no intentions of coming back.”At the request of Mayor Oliver Parker, Fletmeyer had come to the meeting to discuss a program for police and fire personnel that would offer training in case they were first on the scene to assist ocean swimmers in distress. Two recent drownings earlier this year has brought to the forefront the question of whether the town should hire lifeguards. Lauderdale-By-The-Sea has 2.3 miles of unprotected beach, where for years, swimmers have been swimming at their own risk. BSO records indicate that five deaths from drowning have occurred off LBTS beaches since April 2002. Commissioner Jerry McIntee, also the volunteer fire deputy chief, told the commission that his volunteers had already begun training under the instruction of Lt. Scott Fowler, a volunteer fire fighter. Fowler also works fulltime with Fort Lauderdale and part time with Pompano Beach as an ocean lifeguard. His lifeguard certification is through the Red Cross. “We meet on Thursday nights at the ocean and practice life saving techniques,” said Fowler. “We also practice in swimming pools and sometime at the Intracoastal.” Fowler added that no formal class for certification has yet been formed. “It’s tough to get that many people together,” said Fowler. Fletmeyer, a co-author of Drowning: New Perspectives on Intervention and Prevention, says the difference between Red Cross and USLA training is “night and day. The Red Cross cannot certify people for ocean rescue. It is legally and ethically wrong not to be trained.” He added that the USLA licensing requires a 40-hour class. But Fletmeyer’s issue with the town goes beyond certification. He calls the beach signage “inadequate” and told the commission there remained a question of the town’s liability regarding drownings. Fletmeyer adds that the town actively pursues tourists to its beaches and gains a benefit from tourism through economic value and financially through parking meters. Even without lifeguards on patrol, Fletmeyer says there are other things that decrease liability, pointing out better signs, updated warnings on rip currents and posted call boxes. |
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