Wave Watcher Academy
A group of people stood near the end of the rock groin at 37th street. They took turns removing the ring buoy and attached throw bag from the rescue box and throwing it to an imaginary victim in the water. The ring should be tossed over the head of the victim and gently pulled back to where the person’s head is. If you miss, you don’t take the time to stuff the rope back in the bag but coil it on one hand while stepping on the “bag end” of the rope. Your coils should go from the body out, so when you throw, they don’t cross over the other ropes and tangle. As in much of rescue work, the simplest thing gets complicated if not done the same way each time. It’s all about eliminating variables, so when things inevitably go wrong, you have less on your plate.
We are kicking off our first virtual Wave Watcher Academy. They can certify in CPR and will became official “Tourist Ambassadors”. We cover beach topography and near shore bathymetry, rip and longshore currents, protocols for lost children, beach rules and ordinances, drowning events, dangerous marine life and treatments, and Galveston areas that are hazardous to swimmers. On the final day they’ll tour the beach, will be issued uniform shirts and hats, received an official ID card, and we’ll finished up with a celebratory lunch together.
The Wave Watcher stats are entered into our data base so we can keep track of preventative or enforcement actions. By tracking the stats for the lifeguards, beach park security program, Wave Watchers, and Park Staff we get a good indicator of the amount of work being done to protect our locals and tourists on the beach.
The Wave Watcher program become an integral part of our family. Information is on our website, so let us know if you want to jump in the class!
On another note, I’d be remiss if I didn’t hit on an important upcoming opportunity for Galveston. The proposed Aquatics Center at Ball High would have an indoor, heated, eight-lane regulation length pool, boys’ and girls’ locker rooms, a coach’s office, pump and storage rooms, and bleachers for 300, instead of 30. For the first time in its history, Ball High would be able to host a swim meet. The old pool does not have locker rooms or bathrooms and is not regulation length.
The new Aquatics Center would serve Ball High’s swim team, water polo team, and Jr. ROTC. It would also be used by non-profit organizations (Galveston Island Swim Team, Ace After-School Program, Tor Kids) that teach swimming to Galveston children and by public safety groups. It will also help feed our Junior Guard and Lifeguard programs.
Galveston ISD is the only public entity with indoor, heated pools in the city, and is therefore the only organization that can host year-round water activities. On an island, that’s a good thing. Proposition B on the May ballot will be our chance to support this.
