FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The 6^th Annual Kids’ Safety Day was held at Millerton Lake Saturday to give the public life-saving tips as temperatures rise.

Various agencies and organizations participated in the event allowing visitors to see and interact with displays of patrol boats, rescue water skis, patrol vehicles, fire engines, helicopters, and other tools used in water rescues.

Rebecca Douglas brought her kids to the event and believes it is a perfect opportunity to get the kids familiarized with authorities in case of an emergency.

“[The kids should] not be scared of these people that they see. If they need to be rescued they will see people in green or people in blue and know that it is safe to be with them and go with them,” Douglas explained.

Cal State Park Peace Officer Steve Barber reassures parents like Douglass that they are one and the same.

“We want people to feel comfortable with the presence of law enforcement and fire and emergency services and the folks that are professionals in their fields when it comes to water safety,” Officer Barber said.

As warmer weather arrives, people will likely head to California’s waterways to cool off and officials want to remind water and boating enthusiasts about the importance of wearing life jackets, learning to swim, swimming near a lifeguard, and other life-saving tips.

Of the agencies, the Fresno Fire Department provided these essential water safety guidelines:

• Always wear a life jacket when boating or swimming in deep water.
• Stay within designated swimming areas and follow any posted rules or warnings.
• Never swim alone; always have a buddy or adult supervisor present.
• Learn basic swimming skills and take swimming lessons if needed.
• Avoid alcohol or drugs when participating in water activities as they impair judgment and coordination.
• Be cautious of changing weather conditions and seek shelter in case of storms or lightning.

Water-related injury prevention and education organizations at the event also provided free life jackets to anyone who needed one.

Douglass believes these types of events are important and hopes they continue to take place.

“I hope they continue to do this every year, I think it’s very important. I saw somebody offering swim lessons and I cannot stress how important swim lessons and swim safety is for anyone,” she said.

Those who missed out on this annual event can visit next year as Officer Barber says the event is normally held the weekend before Memorial Day.

“We typically run it the Saturday before Memorial Day weekend, so you can expect us to be out here again for the seventh annual event,” Barber explained.