SUMMER IS HERE - REMEMBER WATER SAFETY IS KEY

Rural Metro Fire Department remains committed every day in the community to providing fire protection and emergency medical services for residents of Rancho Sahuarita.

With summer around the corner, the team at Rural Metro wants to remind residents about the crucial importance of water safety. Rural Metro and other area fire departments support efforts to prevent child drownings, with the goal being to have zero child drownings this year and every year. This is only possible through greater awareness of the ABCs of water safety.

Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death in children ages 1 to 4 years old. It is a silent event, where there is often little noise or splashing when someone is drowning. That is why the adult(s) supervising must be hypervigilant. The ABC’S OF WATER SAFETY are a proven method and easy tool to remember for preventing child drowning. Ais for Active Adult Supervision – This means that no one should ever swim alone. One adult must always watch over children in or near water, with zero distractions such as cell phones, reading, or talking to others. Adult supervision is the number one defense against drownings. B is for Barriers - Barriers in place, such as fencing around pools with self-latching gates, create another layer of protection against drownings. It helps keep children away from the pool when they should not be swimming or are not being supervised Cis for Classes – This means swim lessons for kids and CPR lessons for adults. Everyone should know how to swim! Starting as young as 1 year of age, children can begin to learn. Rural Metro also encourages CPR classes, as they are yet another important tool and technique to save a child or adult from drowning.

Battalion Chief, John E. Walka, shares that “Swimming pools are a great destination for

the heat of the summer, and a little prevention will ensure that everyone is safe and can have fun.”

Unlike other communities or municipalities where fire service is automatically included in homeowners’ property taxes, Rural Metro service is available for residents of Rancho Sahuarita on a subscription basis. Service is provided to residents in the heart of the Sahuarita Town Center out of Station #79, and in the northernmost part of the community from Station #82.

Residents are encouraged to sign up for service, to enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing their family and home are covered and protected. Rural Metro also offers additional services, support and education to members; this includes aid in medical emergencies, medical aid at vehicle crashes, water and rope rescues, snake removal, annual home safety inspections, safety programs and more.

Interested homeowners are encouraged to contact Tim Torres, Rural Metro Account Executive at 520.265.7262 or at timothy.torres@gmr.net with any questions or to sign up for service.

About Rural Metro Fire Department. Rural Metro Fire is committed to providing fire protection and emergency services. Rural Metro Fire serves unincorporated communities around the nation, as well as commercial on-site industrial and AARF services. Our highly skilled firefighters, EMT’s and paramedics strive to provide outstanding service on every call. Rural Metro Fire employs more than 7,500 people and answers 1.5 million calls for service, yearly. A subsidiary of American Medical Response, Rural Metro is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. For more information about Rural Metro Fire, visit www.ruralmetrofire.com. Rural Metro Fire is part of the Global Medical Response family of companies. Global Medical Response, Inc. is the industry-leading air, ground, specialty and residential fire services, and managed medical transportation organization. With more than 38,000 employees, GMR delivers compassionate, quality medical care, primarily in the areas of emergency and patient relocation services in the United States and around the world. For more information, visit www.globalmedicalresponse.com.