Standards for water competency education

Develop and implement national minimum educational standards for teaching life jacket fit, type, style, when to wear, and demonstrations to include practice fitting and use for both boating and non-boating water recreation.

Incorporate access to a physician medical director, as defined by National Association of Emergency Medical Service Physicians (NAEMSP), into all EMS agencies that provide lifeguard services.

Develop and implement standardized operational definitions and national minimum standards for the objective assessment of the skills and behavioral components of water competency (water smarts, swimming skills, and helping others).

Develop and implement national minimum standards, benchmarks, and evaluation criteria for evidence-informed, land- and water-based water safety education curriculums.

Develop and implement minimum national educational standards for water safety programs that include considerations to ensure programs developed are delivered in a culturally competent, trauma informed, anxiety sensitive, and historically and socially relevant manner.