Advancing community safety in, on, and around the water

Abstract

Adhering to the Royal Roads University Research Ethics Policy, this thesis studied the research question, How might aquatic professionals advance their commitment to keep communities safe in, on, and around the water? In collaboration, the partner organizations were the BC/Yukon Branches of the Lifesaving Society (LSS) and the Canadian Red Cross (CRC). Research participants included LSS and CRC program staff, LSS and CRC instructors and trainers, aquatic professionals, and aquatic professionals in training. This study’s methodology was an integration of elements of Action Research Engagement (ARE), Participatory Action Research (PAR), and appreciative stance. Depending on the roles of the research participants, they either took part in a focus group or a 1-2-4-All large group method. Participants shared their experiences from across the BC/Yukon region on motivators, barriers, and potential achievements related to the World Health Organization’s strategies and interventions on drowning prevention. Emergent recommendations concentrated on practical action steps that have scale-up ability to include other provinces and territories in Canada. Keywords: community, community of practice, drowning, generational cohort, learning, safety, World Health Organization, youth