Sites installés

YMCA Southcoast, New Bedford Division
Massachusetts, USA

The New Bedford YMCA houses the first recreational swimming pool in the state of Massachusetts to install the Poseidon system.
 

Poseidon Configuration:

Coverage is provided by a series of overlapping cameras:

• Three underwater globes with two cameras per globe, covering the deep section of the pool
• Six overhead cameras, covering the shallow section of the pool

Poseidon at this Site:

When one of its regular members collapsed in the locker room following a routine swim workout, the New Bedford YMCA was prepared to respond to the emergency. Two staff members began CPR. And they used the Y's automatic external defibrillator (AED) to restart the member's heart. By the time paramedics arrived at the scene, the member had a pulse.

Less than three months later, in December of 2002, the member and his family visited with the early-morning crowd at the YMCA. They hosted a continental breakfast to say "thank you" to the two YMCA employees who had saved his life and to express their appreciation for the Y's commitment to providing the training and tools that had prepared employees to respond so quickly and effectively.

According to Gary Schuyler, YMCA Southcoast President and CEO, in 1999 Dr. David Fuerman and St. Luke's Emergency Association donated the AED to the New Bedford YMCA and helped the Y introduce a comprehensive, ongoing training program for its staff to ensure quick response and proper use of the AED technology. After three years, when the emergency did happen, everything paid off. "You plan and train people every year. You have this safety device that is periodically checked. Then all of a sudden it's needed," said Schuyler. "It was amazing. The high level of appreciation from the family made us realize how worthwhile our investment in this new technology was." Subsequently, AEDs have been purchased for all YMCA Southcoast sites.

Now, as the New Bedford YMCA introduces another technology-based safety device, lifeguards will be trained and the technology will remain ready to respond in the event of an emergency in the swimming pool. Poseidon, the computer-aided drowning detection system, will be working along with lifeguards to enhance the level of aquatic safety. Just as with the introduction of the AED, it may be a long time - maybe never - before Poseidon and YMCA lifeguards must respond to an emergency in the pool. But, according to Schuyler, having those levels of safety in place is important.

"Safety is paramount in all facets of our operations. It has always been a particular focus area and it shows the commitment of the leadership of the YMCA," said Schuyler. YMCA Southcoast is committed to enhancing safety at all levels throughout its four divisions. All essential staff are certified in CPR, AED/Oxygen and First Aid. Ongoing safety checks at all swimming pools are completed throughout the year. All three summer day camps are voluntarily accredited by the American Camping Association, meeting the highest levels of excellence in camping. And now, YMCA Southcoast is the fourth corporate YMCA to go online with Poseidon in the U. S. and its New Bedford YMCA is the first facility in the Northeast to install the system. Additionally, the Poseidon system is scheduled to be installed next year in the indoor pool in the new Wareham YMCA, which is currently under construction. Plans are also underway to include the outdoor pools at the Dartmouth and Mattapoisett YMCAs in the future.

Facility Address:
YMCA Southcoast Corporate Office:
25 South Water Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
Phone: 508-997-0734
Fax: 508-991-7371

www.ymcasouthcoast.org