City focuses on summer safety

North Shore City aims to make it a 'Safe Summer' with a new public information campaign, and the appointment of trained surf life savers to its beach patrol.

Three new officers begin beach patrol duties next week, and will have an expanded role, focussing on public education, as well as policing the city's bylaws. For the first time, the officers will be qualified, experienced life savers.

The patrol is part of the council's Safe Summer campaign, spreading the safety message through newspaper and radio ads, posters, flyers, website information - and personal intervention. It will promote not only beach and pool safety, but also safety messages around food and dogs, and first aid.

North Shore City environmental protection team leader, Warwick Robertson, says the campaign's aims are two-fold; to raise public awareness of summer safety issues, and to strengthen relationships with safety agencies and emergency services.

"The beach patrol officers are not there to do the job of surf life saving, or the coastguard - they are there to communicate and advise; to prevent dangerous situations occurring."

The trio will attend all major summer events, including the Shore Sounds series of concerts and the Summer Fun events, handing out giveaways and talking to the public. Patrolling the city's beaches seven days a week, they will work both independently and as a team, depending on the need, says Mr Robertson.

"Summer is a fun time, but it also has its dangers, particularly around water. What we consider to be safe swimming beaches can also be lethal," he says.

"We want to do our part to prevent the type of tragedies that have occurred in the past few years. These are simple safety messages, but they could save a life."

In addition to the beach patrol officers, the council also employs contracted dog patrol officers and a dedicated dog beach patrol officer.

The beach patrol will run until Easter next year.

Summer safety information will be available online at the council's website www.northshorecity.govt.nz

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>