Madeira Beach Fire Department has received a rip current simulator to instruct personnel and educate the public on how to safely get out of a rip current. The goal is to instruct personnel as well as members of other fire departments in Pinellas County, Treasure Island, St. Pete Beach, and Gulfport.

Rip Current Safety

According to the National Weather Service, an average of 19 individuals die every year in Florida as a result of rip currents. Madeira Beach Fire Department Deputy Chief John Mortellite believes that preparation and education can have an invaluable impact.

The agency, which is part of the Gulf Beaches Training Group, received Pinellas County’s first rip current simulator a few weeks ago. Testing began shortly after. The equipment was acquired through a Florida Department of Children and Families grant.

Mortellite explained that the goal is to instruct personnel as well as members of other fire departments in Pinellas County, Treasure Island, St. Pete Beach, and Gulfport. The devices are more or less like a jet ski engine, sucking water in through the bottom and powering it out through the top along the surface, creating the current.

Mortellite and his team are developing a session to teach recognition within a classroom setting. Students will then go to a pool in a controlled environment and experience what it feels like to be in a rip current. Additionally, they will learn techniques for efficiently rescuing people.

Rip currents are common out here along the beaches, and it can be dangerous for our personnel to get caught in them while rescuing people, Mortellite said. The agency also plans to collaborate with beachside condo associations to educate civilians.

The equipment will educate fire personnel and civilians about how to safely get out of a rip current, Mortellite said. People can learn how to stay alert and calm, as well as how to swim parallel to the beach.

Original reporting: St. Pete Catalyst — read the source article.