Tag Archive for: water safety advocacy

Total Aquatic Programming & NDPA Join Together To Improve The Collection Of Drowning Data

Total Aquatic Programming & NDPA Join Together On Drowning Data

People and organizations in the drowning prevention and water safety space are well aware of the limitation of drowning statistics. Drowning data is not universally collected or classified mainly due the sheer nature of drowning which makes counting on reliable data extremely difficult. Few organizations have taken on the task to gather and distribute data pertaining to drowning and Total Aquatics Programming LLC is currently one of the most well known, respected and reliable sources.

Total Aquatic Programming and National Drowning Prevention Alliance Board of Directors have joined together to improve the “The Drowning Report” data. 

TAP has been collecting drowning data since 2008. This process involves about 1100-man hours per year plus cost for programs and support. They have recently faced the following challenges which have impelled them to rethink and reconsider the process in order to be more effective:

  • Some of the thousands of websites visited to gather report data have now  started charging subscription fees. While these are only .99 cents a week, they add up over the period of a year. 
  • Due to the number of sites consulted to gather information and download reports, TAP has been exposed (multiple times) to viruses and have had to move to enterprise grade protection. 
  • TAP users have requested many features that the organization was not able to offer before and is currently preparing to do: possibility of custom reports, online searchability features, ease of access and more.

It is time for TAP LLC to update the way they not only collect but also present the data gathered. This has a cost that they cannot totally absorb, and after talking to many users it is too important to just lose! They are nearly ready to move to a subscription-based model with an cost of $99.95 per year that will offer subscribers all the information they are used to plus:

  • Report filtering options
  • Custom reports (emailed on a customer set schedule)
  • Ability to submit drownings (requires approval)
  • Online and accessible 24/7 – no more waiting for the first of the month
  • Enhanced field logic
  • Alert notifications (new drownings in your area)
  • Much, Much More!

The new membership model will become effective by June 2021 with May 2021 featuring the last free version of drowning reports. NDPA premium members & all partners will be able to access the new database through their existing NDPA membership.

We hope this is a valuable service that you will continue to use. The new features will also allow members to more easily extract local data and customize reports.

Sign up is coming soon so be on the lookout!

NDPA Lifesaver of the Year Award Winner

NDPA Lifesaver Award

The National Drowning Prevention Alliance is happy to announce that the winner of the 2020 Lifesaver of the Year Award is David Benjamin, Director of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project.

The NDPA Lifesaver of the Year Award’s purpose is to acclaim and honor exceptional work in the advancement of water safety and drowning prevention, recognizing an organization’s or individual’s commitment to safer water and the reduction of drowning and aquatic injury.

The recipient of this award is chosen from a pool of candidates nominated to the NDPA and voted on through the NDPA Facebook Page. Having been confirmed by the NDPA Executive Committee and Board of Directors, this year’s recipient is Founder and Director of the Great Lakes Rescue Project, David Benjamin for the dedication he has shown in continuing to fight endlessly to prevent drownings through education and advocacy. 

David Benjamin, Director of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project.
David Benjamin, Director of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project.

The NDPA would like to thank Mr. Benjamin for his support and will be greatly honored to present this award at the awards ceremony to be held on Monday, April 6th during the 2020 National Water Safety Conference in Fort Worth, TX.

United, we can prevent the tragedy of drowning!