HomeMy WebLinkAboutNov 7 Aquatic Center gold award
City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424
Contact: Debbie Townsend, Communications Coordinator
Phone 952-826-0396 • dtownsend@EdinaMN.gov • EdinaMN.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Edina Aquatic Center Honored With Gold Safety Award
Edina, Minn., Nov. 7, 2018 – The Edina Aquatic Center has been awarded the Gold International
Aquatic Safety Award for exceeding standards and epitomizing safety excellence.
While staff at the Aquatic Center, 4300 W. 66th St., have been recognized for safety excellence
before, this is the first time they have received the highest designation of gold.
Each year, lifeguards are required to re-certify and demonstrate their proficiency in CPR, First Aid,
deep water rescues, and shallow water rescues with conscious and unconscious victims. During
Summer 2018, the lifeguards made 106 rescues, with 65 of those in the diving well and 28 of them in
the 5- to 7-foot depth.
“It is apparent that the entire staff embodies the idea of setting the standard in aquatic safety, and
swimmers who frequent this aquatic facility are afforded the highest degree of swimmer protection
currently available for the aquatic industry,” said Richard A. Carroll, Senior Vice President and COO
of Jeff Ellis & Associates, which bestows the awards.
Aquatic Center General Manager Patty McGrath credited the hard work and dedication of all the
staff. “I think it recognizes the level of training and vigilance that the lifeguards demonstrate every
day,” McGrath said.
The audits are unannounced. Auditors enter the park by paying just like everyone else. They
surreptitiously observe and record each guard for at least 10 minutes and watch all the stations in
the park. Once that is complete, they announce their presence and run staff through various
scenarios to test their responses. They also review the recordings with management staff.
Jeff Ellis & Associates, which trains the Aquatic Center staff, works with parks and recreation
departments, health clubs, resorts and waterparks across the world. The gold award puts the Edina
Aquatic Center among the elite of all those places when it comes to safety.
The Aquatic Center is currently closed for the season and will reopen in Summer 2019.
For more information, contact McGrath at 952-833-9542 or pmcgrath@EdinaMN.gov or Carroll at
407-401-7117 or richard.carroll@jellis.com.
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