Water Safety | YMCA of Greater Waukesha County
YMCA of Greater Waukesha County - Changing Lives for the Better
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YMCA of Greater Waukesha County

Association Offices

3610 Michelle Witmer Memorial Drive, Suite 100
New Berlin, WI 53151

Tri County YMCA

N84 W17501 Menomonee Avenue
Menomonee Falls, WI 53051

Mukwonago YMCA

245 E. Wolf Run
Mukwonago, WI 53149

Waukesha YMCA

320 E. Broadway
Waukesha, WI 53186

New Berlin YMCA Wellness Center

3610 Michelle Witmer Memorial Drive
New Berlin, WI 53151

West Suburban YMCA

2420 N. 124th Street
Wauwatosa, WI 53226

Southwest YMCA

11311 W. Howard Avenue
Greenfield, WI 53228

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Association Offices

New Berlin YMCA Wellness Center


YGWC ASSOCIATION OFFICES

3610 Michelle Witmer Memorial Drive, Suite 100
New Berlin, WI  53151
262-330-5199

 

HOURS

MON-FRI | 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Tri County YMCA

Tri County YMCA


TRI COUNTY YMCA

N84 W17501 Menomonee Avenue
Menomonee Falls, WI  53051

 262-255-9622

 

HOURS

MON-FRI | 5:00 AM - 9:00 PM
SAT | 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM*
SUN | 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM*

*Closes at 4:00 PM Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.

Mukwonago YMCA

Mukwonago YMCA


MUKWONAGO YMCA

245 E. Wolf Run
Mukwonago, WI  53149

262-363-7950

 

HOURS 

MON-FRI | 5:00 AM - 9:00 PM
SAT | 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM*
SUN | 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM*

*Closes at 4:00 PM Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.

Waukesha YMCA

Waukesha YMCA


WAUKESHA YMCA

320 E. Broadway
Waukesha, WI  53186

 262-542-2557

 

HOURS 

MON-FRI | 5:00 AM - 9:00 PM
SAT | 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM*
SUN | 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM*

*Closes at 4:00 PM Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.

New Berlin YMCA Wellness Center

New Berlin YMCA Wellness Center


NEW BERLIN YMCA WELLNESS CENTER

3610 Michelle Witmer Memorial Drive
New Berlin, WI  53151
262-330-5190

 

HOURS 

MON-FRI | 6:00 AM - 7:00 PM
SAT & SUN | 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM

West Suburban YMCA

West Suburban YMCA


WEST SUBURBAN YMCA

2420 N. 124th Street
Wauwatosa, WI  53226

 414-302-9622

 

HOURS

MON-FRI | 5:00 AM - 9:00 PM
SAT | 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM*
SUN | 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM*

*Closes at 4:00 PM Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.

Southwest YMCA

Southwest YMCA


SOUTHWEST YMCA

11311 W. Howard Avenue
Greenfield, WI  53228

414-546-9622

 

HOURS

MON-FRI | 5:00 AM - 9:00 PM
SAT | 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM*
SUN | 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM*

*Closes at 4:00 PM Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.

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Camp Double Eagle

W365 S8661 Highway 67
Eagle, WI 53119

Y Children's Academy

100 E. Broadway
Waukesha, WI 53186

Join the Y

Y MEMBERSHIP HAS VALUE

A YMCA membership gives you more than just a place to work out, it gives you a community! Schedule a tour at one of our locations and meet our staff.

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Child Care & Camps

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YOUR CHILD AT THE Y

The Y has programs for children of all ages. From infant and toddler care at our Y Academy, to Preschool and 4K programs, to Before & After School care for elementary and middle school students, the Y can help your busy family find programs and care that's right for you.

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Summer Day Camps

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enroll them in camp at the YMCA!

Healthy Living at the Y

Water Safety at the Y

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Water Safety & Drowning Prevention
YMCA OF GREATER WAUKESHA COUNTY

SWIM SKILLS SAVE LIVES

Teaching children how to swim and be safe around water is one of the most important life skills parents can help their children learn. Research shows that participation in formal water safety and swim lessons can reduce the risk of drowning among children 1 to 4 years of age. Water acclimation not only saves lives, it builds confidence.
 

Swim Lessons

The Y is “America’s Swim Instructor” and the most accessible community resource to prevent drowning and encourage a lifelong enjoyment of swimming. Each year, the Y teaches more than a million children how to swim. The latest evolution of Y swim lessons accommodates students of varying abilities to help foster a sense of achievement as swimmers progress between stages.

View Upcoming Classes

Safety Around Water

Teaching children how to be safe around water is not a luxury; it is a necessity. The YMCA’s Safety Around Water (SAW) program provides fundamental water safety skills for kids so that they know what to do if they find themselves in the water unexpectedly. Through the program, children learn that water should be fun, not feared, as long as you know how to stay safe.

The SAW drowning prevention program is offered to pre-approved schools. Please contact your local branch's Aquatics Director.


 

Additional Resources

Drowning can happen nearly anywhere with standing water. But, as a parent or caregiver, you can’t keep your children sidelined. You need to equip them with the tools they need to be confident in and around water so they don’t lose out on the health benefits of exercise, the opportunities to bond with family and friends, and the sense of accomplishment when they learn new skills.

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  Water Safety Tips

Childhood drowning is preventable. Here area few Y water safety tips to help keep your children safe in and around water:

  • LEARN TO SWIM | The best thing anyone -- children AND adults -- can do to stay safe in and around the water is to learn to swim.
     
  • NEVER LEAVE CHILDREN UNATTENDED | Parents are the first line of defense in keeping kids safe in the water. Never leave children unattended near water, not even for a minute. If your child’s in the water, you should be too! Always assign a responsible adult as the designated Water Watcher who will keep a constant watch on any children in the water.
     
  • READ ALL POSTED SIGNS | Follow posted safety rules and warnings. Teach kids that being safe in and around the water is a personal responsibility – yours and theirs.
     
  • NEVER SWIM ALONE OR IN UNSUPERVISED PLACES | Teach your children to always ASK PERMISSION before they go near or into water and to swim with a buddy. Always assign a responsible adult as the designated Water Watcher.
     
  • SPIT IT OUT | Teach kids not to drink the pool water. To prevent choking, never chew gum or eat while swimming, diving or playing in water.
     
  • CHECK THE WATER DEPTH | The American Red Cross recommends 9 feet as a minimum depth for diving or jumping. If you or your family do not know how to swim or are weak swimmers, please stay in shallow water that is no more than waist deep on the smallest swimmer in your group.
     
  • USE APPROVED SWIM DIAPERS | Regular baby diapers are made to absorb liquid and will only hold so much water before the absorbent material inside the diaper will explode and damage pool filtration systems. 
     
  • AVOID WATER WINGS | Do not use air-filled swimming aids (such as “water wings”) in place of life jackets or life preservers for children. Using air-filled swimming aids can give parents and children a false sense of security, which may increase the risk of drowning. These air-filled toys are not designed to be personal-flotation devices and can easily deflate if they become punctured or unplugged.
  Ready, Set, Save | Tips for Backyard Swimming Pools

READY

  • Create layers of protection between the water and your children.
  • Install alarms on doors and windows that lead to the pool.
  • Build a non-climbable fence between the house and the pool.
  • Use self-closing fence gates that open outwards with latches out of the child’s reach.
  • Have rescue equipment mounted by the pool.
  • Learn CPR.
  • Talk to adults that are caring for your child around water.
  • Enroll children in swim lessons.

SET

Watching is the most important thing to remember. Never leave your child alone near a pool, spa, bathtub, toilet, bucket or any standing water in which a child’s nose or mouth may be submerged.

  • Assign an adult Water Watcher who is committed to supervising the pool area.
  • Have phone access near the water area.
  • Wear personal floatation devices (PFDs) that are Coast Guard approved.

SAVE

  • Call 911.
  • Throw! Don’t go. Throw rescue equipment to the victim.
  • Begin CPR.
  Drowning Facts

IN THE TIME IT TAKES TO...

  • Cross a room for a towel (10 seconds), a child in a bathtub can be submerged.
  • Answer the phone (2 minutes), a child can lose consciousness.
  • Sign for a package at the front door (4-6 minutes), a child submerged in a tub or pool can sustain permanent brain damage.

HOW MUCH WATER DOES IT TAKE TO DROWN?

  • Inches of water in a bathtub.
  • A bucket of water.
  • Standing water on top of a pool or spa cover.
  • Any amount of water that covers the mouth and nose.

DO PEOPLE ALWAYS YELL FOR HELP?

  • Most children do not yell for help.
  • Non-swimmers or exhausted swimmers are unable to call for help.
  • Drowning victims may be struggling under the water.

NEAR DROWNING

Survival After Submersion In Fluid
  • For each child that drowns, it is estimated that four children are hospitalized for near-drowning.
  • Nationwide, 2,700 children ages 14 & under were treated in hospital emergency rooms for unintentional drowning-related incidents.
  • As many as 20% of near drowning survivors suffer severe permanent neurological disability.
  • Nearly all who require CPR die or are left with severe brain injury.

AREAS OF RISK RELATED TO DROWNING

  • Home pools/spas/ponds
  • Inside homes
  • Natural bodies of water
  • Boating and personal water crafts

APARTMENT & RESIDENTIAL POOLS

  • More than half of drownings among children ages 1-4 are pool related.
  • More than half of these drownings occur in the child’s home pool.
  • Most children were last seen in the home and had been missing from sight for less than 5 minutes.

INFLATABLE POOLS & POOL COVERS

  • Inflatable and plastic pools should always be emptied after use.
  • Never leave toys or play objects in the pool water or near the pool area when they're not in use. 
  • Remove steps from above ground pools.
  • Drain water off the top of pool covers.

DIVING BOARDS & SLIDES

  • Not all swimming pools are designed with diving in mind, especially residential pools.
  • Most spinal cord injuries result from diving into shallow water.
  Drowning Facts | Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Drowning is the leading cause of death of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It is estimated that 91% of all deaths for children with ASD between 2009-2011 were accidental drownings.

There are four reasons this happens:

  • WANDERING | Roughly half of children with an ASD attempt to elope from a safe environment, a rate nearly four times higher than their unaffected siblings.
     
  • LACK OF GENERALIZATION | Even if a child with ASD learns how to swim, it is sometimes difficult for them to generalize these skills to other areas where they may not have been before, such as a nearby lake or river.
     
  • LACK OF PERCEIVED DANGER | Many children with ASD do not realize danger when they encounter it. It's common with more severe ASD to have a lack of judgment, as well as intellectual impairments, thus increasing the risk for drowning.
     
  • LACK OF AWARENESS & SERVICES | Many people don't understand the increased risk to drowning that ASD causes and are unaware that it is the leading cause of death in autism. Therefore, it's important that awareness programs be put in place to ensure the safety of children with ASD.

Here are some things you can do to help protect children with ASD:

  • Put in place preventative measures for your home pool, like pool gates, covers, fencing, and alarms.
     
  • Exposure to different beaches, pools, lakes or rivers that the child may have access to could potentially aid them in utilizing their swimming skills by learning to generalize the different bodies of water.
     
  • Ensure all pool safety measures are in place and keep an eye out for wandering. Supervision around any body of water can help reduce drowning.
     
  • Underestimate your child’s swimming ability. It's always a good idea to insist that your child wear a life jacket, just in case.

Sources: AquaMobile Swim School | Children's Therapy T.E.A.M.National Autism Association

  Choosing a Life Jacket

Life jackets are just as important as seat belts. If you don’t wear them, they won’t help you in an emergency! Individuals who don't know how to swim or are considered weak swimmers should wear a “Coast Guard Approved” life jacket when playing in or around the water. 

How to Choose the Right Life Jacket


While boating, only 63% of 5-14 year-olds wear a personal floatation device (PFD), compared to 91% for children under age 5. EVERYONE on a boat should wear a PFD. A variety of types are available for different water sports, so check the manufacturer’s label to see the activities and conditions for which the PFD is appropriate. Have each family member try on their PFD before you buy it to make sure it fits properly and comfortably.

Learn More


PERSONAL FLOATATION DEVICES

  • All non-swimmers should wear PFDs when they are near water.
  • Each person on board any small craft or boat of open construction should wear a PFD.
  • Choose and wear only those PFDs that bear the label “U.S. Coast Guard Approved.”
  • Other floatation devices designed to serve as teaching aids are good for teaching situations and may be used  to assist swimmers, but they should not be relied on as lifesaving devices.
  • Anything that inflates can quickly deflate, causing you or your child to become distressed in the water. Please be aware of these false security items when swimming.

Sources: Center for Disease Control | YMCA Lifeguard Manual

  Family Pledge

Keeping kids safe around water requires a family commitment. Review the pledge below as a family and ask everyone to agree to follow the safety guidelines listed.


WE PLEDGE TO BE SAVE IN & AROUND WATER

As a family, we agree to do the following:

  • Always make sure an adult actively watches children around water.
  • Make sure an adult stays within arm’s reach of young children in the water.
  • Swim near a lifeguard.
  • Reach or throw, not go, to help a swimmer in trouble.
  • Consider enrolling children in swim lessons to help them stay safe around water.
  Be a Water Watcher

Children should only swim under adult supervision. Use the checklist below to understand your role in keeping kids safe when you are responsible for supervising them in the water.


I HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP KIDS SAFE IN & AROUND WATER

I agree to do the following:

  • Actively watch children who are in or around water.
  • Keep my eyes on the water.
  • Avoid distractions like talking on the phone, socializing or reading while watching children.
  • Keep a phone near water for emergencies.
  • Remain by the water until relieved by a new Water Watcher.

 

For a better us.®

The YMCA of Greater Waukesha County is a non-profit, tax-exempt charitable organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Our tax ID number is 45-5119441.

 

© 2016 YMCA of Greater Waukesha County - all rights reserved.

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