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Health First Partners With Aquatics & Education, Palm Bay Fire on Water Safety and Emergency Educational Event

thos@oneelevendigital.com (Thomas Conner) — Sun, 18 Jan 2026 16:08:19 GMT

First Flight visit kicked off a special hands-on water safety and emergency response educational event

WATCH: A special hands-on water safety and emergency response educational event presented by Aquatics & Education – with the support of Palm Bay Fire Rescue, Health First, and Brevard Public Schools. (Health First video)

BREVARD COUNTY • PALM BAY, FLORIDA – Against the backdrop of a chilly, but crystal-clear Friday sky, dozens of Sunrise Elementary School 6th graders ventured out of their classrooms and looked upward for a view of the Health First First Flight Air Ambulance making its approach for a landing.

The First Flight visit kicked off a special hands-on water safety and emergency response educational event presented by Aquatics & Education, with the support of Palm Bay Fire Rescue, Health First, and Brevard Public Schools.

As part of this community outreach event, the Health First First Flight crew made a special appearance, providing students with a powerful, real-world demonstration of how emergency response systems work when seconds matter.

This initiative is made possible through a partnership with “Every Child A Swimmer” and is designed to provide students with age-appropriate, evidence-informed water safety education and emergency response awareness through engaging, interactive, and experiential learning.

Aquatics & Education CEO Brooke Bothun said Florida remains the nation’s highest-ranking state for childhood drowning deaths, with 119 child fatalities reported in 2025, including five in Brevard County.

According to Aquatics & Education CEO Brooke Bothun, Florida remains the nation’s highest-ranking state for childhood drowning deaths, with 119 child fatalities reported in 2025, including five in Brevard County.

Drowning incidents are fast, silent, and preventable; however, many children and families lack exposure to critical, life-saving skills such as recognizing aquatic distress, activating emergency response systems and understanding the fundamentals of hands-only CPR.

“By bringing first responders, emergency medical professionals, and water safety advocates together, this initiative emphasizes prevention before an emergency occurs and equips students with age-appropriate, actionable knowledge that extends beyond the pool and into everyday life,” said Bothun.

Dr. Larrisa Dudley, medical director for both First Flight and Palm Bay Fire Rescue, as well as the Holmes Regional Medical Center Emergency Department, said this effort reflects a shared community responsibility to educate, empower, and protect our youngest residents through awareness and early prevention.

Dr. Larrisa Dudley, medical director for both First Flight and Palm Bay Fire Rescue, as well as medical director for the Holmes Regional Medical Center Emergency Department, said this effort reflects a shared community responsibility to educate, empower, and protect our youngest residents through awareness and early prevention.

“Together, we can strengthen our collective approach to water safety and make a lasting impact on the well-being of children and families throughout Brevard County,” said Dr. Dudley.

“It’s very important to teach these kids as early as possible the value of learning to swim, safety, procedures and how to be able to help if they should ever encounter a scenario when someone is in distress. Partnering with Aquatics & Education and Brooke to provide – not only swim safety for these kids during the summer months, but especially in the winter months when it’s too cold -to have these kids practice and learn hands-on CPR to that they’re able to help or maybe they should ever run into a situation.

“This is a perfect example of when we use the seasons to try to guide our educational programs. So, in the summer, it’s optimized to use the pools. It’s warm, and everyone’s comfortable being outside in their bathing suits. But here on a colder day like today in January, we’re really trying to use what we have to our benefit. Today, instead of focusing specifically on actual swimming techniques, we’re focusing on CPR and how to be able to resuscitate somebody should they come into a situation that needs resuscitation,” said Dr. Dudley.

Palm Bay Fire Rescue Assistant Chief John Ringleb said, from a fire department perspective, anytime they have an opportunity to get into the schools, not only to teach a safety message or EMS or how to do CPR, but also to build this connection between the schools and the fire department.

In addition to providing an opportunity to learn hands-on lifesaving skills, an important takeaway was helping students understand what to tell a 911 dispatcher, emphasizing the importance of sharing their location as clearly and accurately as possible.

“Using some of our local resources, and what Brooke brings to the table is, is a unique resource that she gives us for our public education,” said Palm Bay Fire Rescue Assistant Chief John Ringleb.

“So anytime she has an opportunity to reach into the schools where young adults and adolescents are, we always want to try to support that initiative that she’s doing. She is kind of a one-off in that regard for us here in Brevard and in Palm Bay. So, we’re always trying to support all of her swim and water safety initiatives, hands-only CPR, what to do if there’s an emergency, and calling 911.

“From a fire department perspective, anytime we have an opportunity to get into the schools, not only to teach a message about safety or EMS or how to do CPR but also building this connection between the schools and the fire department just so that we can sort of bridge the community together piece by piece. It’s a great opportunity to do that. Kids go home and they talk to their parents. ‘Hey, I saw a helicopter today. I saw a fire truck today.’ We can kind of get our arms around a lot of things all in one shot at an event like this just by showing up and doing these community education events,” said Ringleb.

Against the backdrop of a chilly, but crystal-clear Friday sky, dozens of Sunrise Elementary School 6th graders ventured out of their classrooms and looked upward for a view of the Health First First Flight Air Ambulance making its approach for a landing. (Health First images)

Partnering with Aquatics & Education not only provides swim safety for kids during the summer months, but also in the winter, when it’s too cold, so they can practice and learn hands-on CPR and be able to help if they ever run into a situation.

Florida's free swim lesson voucher program aims to prevent child drownings

thos@oneelevendigital.com (Thomas Conner) — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 16:08:19 GMT

MELBOURNE, Fla. — A Melbourne swim teacher is grateful for a new state law designed to make swim lessons available to all Florida children.

Brooke Bothun is a certified swimming instructor and her mission is to teach kids how to be safe in the water.

What You Need To Know

Florida's swim lessons voucher program aims to prevent child drownings
The law provides free swimming lessons to low-income families with kids four and under
The Department of Health is required to develop and publish rules establishing the process for determining applicant eligibility, vendor eligibility, and voucher amounts

Each child’s experience in and around the water is different.

“It’s important to be mindful of that instruction, meeting that family for the first time, questions about their water story, their prior experience, positive and negative,” Bothun said.

According to the Florida Department of Children and Families , drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4.

But professional swim instruction reduces the risk of drowning by 88%, according to the National Drowning Prevention Alliance .

Key parts of Bothun’s instruction include teaching the child to ask to go in the water and having a water watcher, an adult or lifeguard there.

There’s a clear balance of letting the child do most of the work during the lessons.

“It’s really just learning the swimmer, what they’re capable of, the patience that you have and positive reinforcement, and showing this is a life skill that’s so important, and through the silly tears you still work through it,” she said.

Hayley Coniglio and her husband decided to start lessons for their 2-year-old daughter Shiloh because she’s already interested in the water.

And so far, she’s impressed with the lessons.

“I think she’s doing great. She’s picking up a lot of new skills. Brooke’s doing amazing with her, and I’m definitely feeling more comfortable around the water,” Hayley Coniglio said.

While swim lessons aren’t cheap, Gov. Ron DeSantis just signed State Bill 544 that provides free swim lessons for kids 4 and under with families making less than 200% of the federal poverty level.

The state is beginning with $500,000 to launch the program, which goes into effect on July 1.

According to WaterSmartFL , the Department of Health is required to develop and publish rules establishing the process for determining applicant eligibility, vendor eligibility, and voucher amounts.

Bothun said it can be tough for parents letting go.

But gaining that comfort by getting them in the pool early will be reassuring, especially in a place like Florida.

“It’s a building block. It’s getting water on their face, on their hair, and that life skill of learning how to swim,” she said.

Bothun is now involved in a first ever partnership with Palm Bay Fire Rescue , advocating to promote water safety awareness.

New swimming lesson partnership aims to save lives

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 06:38:21 GMT

PALM BAY, Fla. — Brooke Bothun is a swimming lesson instructor and member of the Florida Swimming Pool Association.

What You Need To Know

The Florida Swimming Pool Association has partnered with Palm Bay Fire Rescue to advocate for water safety awareness
It’s good timing, as May is National Water Safety Month and Gov. Ron DeSantis just signed legislation creating the first swimming lesson voucher program for kids

“Seeing the life skill achieved by a young swimmer or a swimmer of any age, it’s incredible, and it brings so much happiness when they are independent and know they are water safe,” Bothun said.

Bothun is now involved in a first ever partnership with Palm Bay Fire Rescue, advocating to promote water safety awareness.

It’s good timing, as May is National Water Safety Month and Gov. Ron DeSantis just signed legislation creating the first swimming lesson voucher program for kids.

It’s for families with children four and under making “less than 200% of the federal poverty level.”

“We hope that brings more acknowledgement to what we are trying to do here, with the safety around water and swimming,” said Asst. Chief John Ringleb of Palm Bay Fire Rescue. “So the scholarships, the funding that’s starting to come down the pipeline, everybody is going to benefit from that.”

The new swimming lesson voucher program goes into effect June 1.

According to the CDC, drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages one to four years old, and the second leading cause for kids ages five to 14.