New Jersey Swim Safety Alliance

New Jersey Swim Safety Alliance

This is a call to all those contributors intending to remedy the tragic loss of life in water in New Jersey.

Help us build on the 2023 jam-packed inaugural NJ Water Safety Summit by enacting many of the ideas collected from the collaboration of those in attendance. Join us in reviewing the newly drafted New Jersey Water Safety Strategy,  contribute your expertise on how it can be implemented throughout the state and learn from presentations from drowning prevention professionals highlighting a year filled with collaborations and innovations.

Together, we can save families from unnecessary life-changing tragedies and teach our communities how to respectfully enjoy New Jersey’s spectacular waterfronts.

This event is free, but registration is required.

Please consider donating or becoming a member to cover the cost of this and future events. 
Four young kids in a swimming pool with their swim instructor for water safety

Swimming Is A Life Skill

The main purpose of NJSSA is to unify all aquatic organizations into one cooperative, collaborative family.

The NJSSA serves our state by advocating for viable, safe conduct and enjoyment of the critical life skill of swimming.

Swimming is a life skill that everyone should learn. Our organization’s goal is to equip every NJ resident with the information and tools to help keep them and their loved ones safer in and around water.

Our Message of Safety, Hope, and Compassion

NJSSA wants to spread our message of water safety, hope, and compassion.

We believe that a single action can make a difference in the community, and that collective action can greatly impact the world.

Through advocacy and outreach activities, our team will work tirelessly each day to contribute to the greater good of swimming.

Father holding a smiling baby in a swimming pool

According to the CDC, drowning is the leading cause of death for children 1-4 after birth defects. And the second leading cause of accidental death for children 1-14. And drowning can happen quickly and silently.

88% of child drownings occur when at least one adult is present. The drowning risks change as your child grows and develops.

The toddler years bring the highest risk of drowning with the biggest threat being unexpected, unsupervised access to water such as pools, hot tubs, ponds, and standing water.

Click on the video for more detailed information.

Drownings in New Jersey

From August 2021 to August 2022, drowning has taken a tragic toll on families throughout New Jersey.

This map shows many of the drownings that occurred during this one-year time period, and includes the towns where those drownings occurred, the age and gender of each devastating loss of life.

Please take a few moments to view this important information brought to you by the US Swim School Association with information from Total Aquatic Programming LLC.

Seating at the state assembly

Legislative Action

NJ Swim Safety Alliance is advocating for in the New Jersey State Legislature. Bill A-3950 will require birhting centers to offer a drowning prevention video for infants and young children. Bill A-668 requires the Department of Education to develop a school water safety fact sheet.  

Please join us by encouraging our NJ State Assembly Members to bring these bills forward for their vote so that they can become part of New Jersey state law.

Our Gold Members

David is the Founder and President of National Safety Training Center and its predecessor companies – Elite Tactical Academy and Mine Brook Search & Rescue, Inc.  He is  a seasoned business leader and public safety education expert. He currently focuses on running this large training center and keeps active teaching both provider level classes and many instructor level classes.

He holds numerous certifications including:

  • American Red Cross Instructor / Trainer
    • BLS / ALS / PALS
    • Lay Rescuer
    • Lifeguarding
    • Babysitting
  • American Heart Association Training Center Faculty
    • BLS
    • HeartSaver
  • National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians Instructor
    • Tactical Emergency Casualty Care
    • Pre Hospital Trauma Life Support
    • Mental Health Resilience Officer
    • Psychological Trauma in EMS Patients

 

David has previously worked as a Red Cross employee in 2 roles:

  • Public Safety Instructor for the Northern VT Chapter – teaching corporate classes for the Red Cross
  • Lifeguard Instructor / Trainer / Educator for the National Association – Teaching the Instructor / Trainer Academies to create new Lifeguard Instructor / Trainers.

 

David lives in the Martinsville section of Bridgewater NJ with his family who are also active in the Public Safety Training / Medical training business. He is a local volunteer Firefighter / EMT, something he has been doing since 1984! David also serves as a volunteer in the US Coast Guard on a specialized deployable communications team.

Jon Siegel is the Head Age Group Coach at Cougar Aquatic Team in Montclair NJ and currently the Senior Coaches Rep for NJ Swimming LSC. Prior to that Jon  served as Senior Director of Competitive Aquatics at the Madison Area YMCA (MAY). During his tenureat MAY he helped design and oversee the construction of their new FM Kirby Aquatic Center, directed outdoor programming during the pandemic and acted as Senior Aquatic Director to bring the aquatic department back online. Over his coaching career, which has spanned 30+ years, Jon spent nine-and-a-half-years with the Montclair YMCA Dolphins as their Director of Competitive Aquatics, eight years as Head Coach at the Madison Area YMCA, three years at the West Essex YMCA, and a year as an Assistant Coach at the Summit Y. In addition, he has coached the Livingston Aquajets, Berkeley Heights Streamliners, Minisink Manta Rays and Morristown Beard High School. Jon is an ASCA Level 5 Swim Coach and was selected as the Head Coach of the NJ Swimming All Star Zone Team in 1999, 2002, 2005 and 2008, and as an assistant coach at Zones in 2000, 2003 and 2023. Jon also coached USA Swimming’s Eastern Zone Select Camp in 2006. Jon’s swimmers have competed in all levels of swim competition including Olympic Trials and an alumni to the Olympics. In addition to coaching, Jon has years of service to various swim boards and committees which include working on the New Jersey YMCA Swim League Executive Committee, New Jersey Swimming Board of Directors, and on the USA Swimming National Communications Committee and the National Camps Committee. John looks forward to bringing his extensive swim knowledge and experience to the Nj Swim Safety Alliance.