Paradise Valley Police Department hosted a Coffee with a Cop event open to the public on July 1, where community members learned about water safety.
PVPD partnered with Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation Injury Prevention Specialist Lexi Benner to educate residents on ways to reduce the risk of water-related injuries and drownings.
Paradise Valley Police Department Community Resource Officer Vasilije Sagovnovic said the presentation emphasized the importance of designating a distraction-free adult to supervise children around pools, installing pool fencing, using U.S. Coast Guard approved life jackets and knowing lifesaving measures such as CPR.
“Arizona’s warm climate and the increased use of residential pools during the summer months, water safety education is especially important during this time” he said. “We were pleased to welcome that representative from Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation who’s really versatile regarding this topic and provided a really comprehensive presentation on drowning prevention, water safety awareness and practical measures for families.”
About 20 to 25 people attended the event, which Sagovnovic said is a strong turnout during the summer months.
“We had a great turnout,” he said. “It was well received, they enjoyed the information that was provided by Phoenix Children’s.”
Although Paradise Valley does not have mandated pool fencing requirements, installing pool barriers and self-latching gates can help protect children, pets, older adults and anyone else who may not know how to swim, Sagovnovic said.
“You don’t know who can swim,” he said. “Having a gate in place will mitigate a lot of accidental things from happening…it provides a barrier between the child or pet or whoever it may be that doesn’t have that knowledge of swimming just to avoid any type of potentially fatal incident from occurring.”
Benner also discussed the importance of using U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets and explained how they differ from arm floaties, which are often marketed to parents as safe alternatives, Sagovnovic said.
“A life jacket itself is meant to cover not just the arms of the minor or whoever is using it but also the whole torso so it will keep them afloat,” he said.
As a small municipality, Paradise Valley does not receive a significant number of water-related emergency calls, but it remains important to educate residents on water safety practices to help keep those numbers low, Sagovnovic said.
“It is a problem everywhere across the Valley,” he said. “We have responded to those type of incidents in the past but it wasn’t..anything excessive.”
Coffee with a Cop is held on the first Wednesday of every month, with each meeting focusing on a different topic affecting the Paradise Valley community, Sagovnovic said.
“It provides an informal setting where residents can meet their local officers; they have the opportunity to not just learn about these essential topics we try to provide them with but also for the opportunity to ask questions, discuss community concerns (and) strengthen relationships with the police department.”
The Coffee with a Cop events are an important part of the department’s relationship with the community, Sagovnovic said.
“These conversations foster trust, encourage collaboration and reinforce our commitment to community with our policing,” he said. “Programs like Coffee with a Cop allow us to connect residents with subject matter experts and provide valuable information to help aid safety throughout our community.”
Community: I live in central Phoenix and my writing focuses on Fountain Hills education, and the Paradise Valley and Scottsdale communities.
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