TESTIMONY
Kaitlin Krause, Commissioner at the New York State Commission to Prevent Childhood Drowning, on a Comprehensive Citywide Approach to Water Safety
1:24:29
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3 min
Kaitlin Krause presents a five-point plan aimed at transforming water safety and drowning prevention in New York City.
- The plan calls for collective action involving city agencies, non-profits, educational institutions, private sector partners, and the community.
- It proposes creating a centralized aquatic atlas, integrating a junior lifeguard program into schools, and expanding the city's infrastructure.
- Krause emphasizes the importance of ensuring water safety knowledge and resources are accessible to every New Yorker, especially in underserved communities.
- The initiatives highlight the need for cross-sector collaboration and the distribution of responsibility for water safety.
- She underscores the urgency of the situation, outlining the preventable nature of drowning and the shared duty to transform NYC into a model of water safety culture.
Kaitlin Krause
1:24:29
Good afternoon, respected members of City Council, New York Parks Commission, valued task force colleagues, dedicated partners, and all gathered here today.
1:24:40
My name is Caitlin Krause, and I serve our city and state in multiple capacities.
1:24:45
As a commissioner on the New York State Commission to prevent childhood drowning, as a member of the New York City Lifeguard Interorganizational Task Force, as Vice Chair of the Water Safety Coalition, and as founder an executive director of rising tide effect.
1:25:01
Today, we stand at a pivotal junction in our city surrounded by magnificent waterways.
1:25:07
A city currently shadowed by a preventable crisis that disproportionately snatches away the bright futures of New Yorkers.
1:25:14
The five point plan for water safe safety is more than a set of initiatives and is an urgent appeal for a transformative approach to water safety, demanding a shift in how our community interacts and respects the water.
1:25:27
The collective vision for tackling the issue hinges on a crucial realization, though.
1:25:33
The Parks department, despite its significant contributions, cannot shoulder this burden alone.
1:25:40
The path to safety, to prevention, and to education is one that requires the hands of many, building a bridge across every sector of our city.
1:25:49
The proposal to extend pollution beeps beach seasons in hours is not just about increasing access.
1:25:55
It's about creating a unified approach where city agents sees, community organizations, and private entities work together to ensure that every neighborhood, especially the underserved, can enjoy and learn from water.
1:26:08
The current fragmentation in accessing information about water safety resources is a barrier to participation.
1:26:15
By creating a centralized collaborative aquatic Atlas, we call upon tech companies, educational institutions, and nonprofits to contribute.
1:26:24
Ensuring every New Yorker has knowledge at their fingertips.
1:26:27
The proposal to integrate a junior lifeguard program into our schools is a testament to the power of cross their collaboration.
1:26:34
By linking the Department of Education with local aquatic programs, we not only address the lifeguard shortage, but we also embed a culture of water safe and serving proficiency from an early age.
1:26:47
This initiative requires the alignment of city resources philanthropic efforts, and community based organizations to ensure that financial constraints never hinder a New Yorkers' right to learn to swim.
1:26:59
Expanding our city's infrastructure is a call to action for government, for private investors, and community advocates alike, highlighting the need for a collect of investment in our future.
1:27:10
Governor Hochols recently announced New York Swim's initiative stands as a beacon paving the way toward a sustainable and thriving aquatic feature for our community.
1:27:19
This five point plan for water safety serves as a blueprint for a comprehensive citywide approach to drowning prevention.
1:27:27
It underscores the imperative for all of us.
1:27:30
City agencies, nonprofits, nonprofits, educational institutions, private sector partners, and community members to come together in an United effort In reframing this issue, we recognize that the responsibility to protect our children, to educate our communities and to provide equitable access to swimming education does not rest on a single entity.
1:27:52
It's a shared duty, a collective endeavor that embodies the spirit of New York City at self.
1:27:57
And as we embark on this journey together, let us remember that the ultimate goal to transform New York City into a model of culture for water safety.
1:28:06
Where drowning is not a statistic, but a rarity.
1:28:09
It's a vision that we can only achieve together by ensuring that water safety is recognized as a commune no right and responsibility.
1:28:17
Thank you for your unwavering commitment to this cause and for joining hands in this critical mission.