Alabama state officials are reminding the public to enjoy their summer safely. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency has released its “Summer of Safety” playbook, featuring safety tips for the road, waterways, and beaches during the summer season.
Recommendations from the playbook include emergency road-kits, Coast Guard approved life preservers and checking beach warning flags.
Jeremy Burkett is a sergeant with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. He said the playbook aims to remind the public of critical safety tips leading into the busy summer season.
“We're trying to have a very holistic approach when it comes to safety, but specifically summer safety, relative to things that you can anticipate, whether you're on the highways, or the waterways, as you go through your summer vacation, or just a summer season,” he said.
Sergeant Burkett explained that people spend more time on the roads for travel during the summer, so drivers should check maintenance on their vehicle. On the waterways, Burkett recommended checking vessels that have been stored and making sure appropriate life preservers are available on board.
The playbook also touches on safety on the beach, saying swimmers can be “swept out to sea” by rip currents and these currents can be “LIFE THREATENING to anyone entering the surf.” Burkett said that this information is important to ensuring a safe summer for travelers and vacation hotspots throughout Alabama.
“Well, a lot of this information, and a lot of the things that we share in these holiday periods is things that people know. It may be, as we say, it in the back of your brain. We're here to try to help bring it to the front of your brain; to try to bring about the awareness,” Burkett explained.
Burkett clarified that ALEA’s playbook is not meant to be restricting to the public. He made it clear that this playbook is designed to ensure people have a fun summer but also create a safe environment for themselves and those around them.
“We want people to go spend time with family, do all the summer festivities, enjoy themselves and be able to relax,” he said. “However, we also want people to be prepared. We want to be able to be in a posture to where something does occur, if there is some type of emergency or some type of catastrophic event, that you can react to it.”
Burkett mentioned that heavier traffic on the roads and waterways during the summer could lead to more potential risks. He encouraged the public to enjoy their summer but to remain vigilant and attentive.
