Prevention of drowning

To prevent fatalities on water bodies, a range of measures are implemented, from organizational and technical solutions to educating citizens on life safety fundamentals.

Over 1,700 employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) and OSVOD (Belarusian Republican Public Association for Saving on Waters) are on duty daily to ensure safe recreation at water bodies (this includes 386 divers, 311 motorboat operators, 140 medical personnel, and 872 lifeguard-sailors at rescue stations and posts).

The protection of human lives on the republic's water bodies is carried out by 67 rescue stations and 185 OSVOD rescue posts.

Ongoing educational and preventive work is conducted among the population, aimed at minimizing the likelihood of fatalities on the republic's waters. This work involves all relevant authorities, services, and organizations.

MES and OSVOD employees speak at workplaces, educational institutions, preschools, and on radio and television regarding safe behavior at water bodies. At OSVOD rescue stations and posts, preventive information blocks are broadcast via public address systems.

Daily, in each district, as part of the "Summer Patrol" campaign, MES and OSVOD employees conduct raids at public recreation areas near water, with the goal of reducing accidents.

Weekly, to draw public attention to the issue of fatalities on water bodies, SMS messages are sent to citizens.

To prevent and preempt fatalities on water bodies, many beaches across the country have banned the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages by decisions of local executive and administrative bodies.

The MES and OSVOD have established clear cooperation with internal affairs bodies. Police patrols, deployed near water bodies, together with OSVOD and MES rescuers, conduct explanatory work with citizens about the inadmissibility of consuming alcoholic beverages, being in public places and swimming while intoxicated, swimming in prohibited areas, and using unauthorized means for swimming. Administrative measures are applied to individuals consuming alcoholic beverages or found to be intoxicated in public recreation areas near water.

For the first time in the country, aerial preventive raids were conducted at swimming areas and public recreation zones to draw people's attention to the issue of fatalities on water bodies, inform them about safety rules, and identify unauthorized swimming areas and violations of life safety rules on waters.