Water Safety at Shute Park

Hillsboro Fire and Rescue is proud to participate with Hillsboro Parks and Recreation Department's Summer Outpost program at Shute Park. The program provides activities, games and education along with a light lunch for local children. They served over 400 kids today who came out to play. About 65 of those kids and parents gatherd around as Hillsboro Firefighters talked about water safety.

Firefighter and Swift Water Rescue Technician Brent Wellington talked about safety tips at the pool as well as at the ocean, lakes or rivers. The key messages were children should learn to swim and should always be supervised when near or in the water. Any children not able to swim should wear a personal floatation device(PFD) when near or in the water.

Lieutenant Jason Blount, a resue boat operator showed the kids the equipment carried on HFD's Rescue Boat-1. The equipment includes a throw ring, a bag full of rope for thowing to a person in distress, and the dry suits that rescuers wear when in the chilly Oregon rivers and lakes.

HFD has already responed to at least two water rescue calls this season. In one incident, a six year old child was saved by the quick application of CPR by a bystander. We hope you play safely when on, near or on the water.