Smith Point Lifeguards

United States Declaration of Independence… July 4th celebration (Safety)

The July 4th weekend should be a day of fun and celebration, but it is also one of the most dangerous holidays of the year. Suffolk County Parks’ beaches are here for everyone to enjoy and we hope that your activities can be guided by common sense. Below you will find some safety tips and laws that can help make a visit to Suffolk County Parks more pleasurable and safe for everyone. Here are several suggestions:

1. 1.Check with lifeguards on beach and surf conditions.

2. 2.Swim only in guarded area.

3. 3.Never swim alone.

4. 4.It is always important to watch your children in the water and on the beach.

5. 5.Many people are extremely social when it comes to drinking at any holiday events. Please limit and/or eliminate your drinking that day. It will benefit you, your family and all of Suffolk County beach goers.

6. 6.If you witness highly intoxicate person, please alert a park police/lifeguard personnel.

7. 7.It is extremely important to practice defensive and safe driving while entering and exiting the Suffolk County Parks. Children are always running in between cars, be smart and cautious.

8. 8.Do not bring any fireworks to the beach. Be a good role model for your children and do not display illegal fireworks.

9. 9.Be careful during barbecues. Always have water available to put out a fire. Smith Point Park has designated areas for BBQ, use them not the beach.

10. 10.Use sunscreen to protect yourself and your family.

11. 11.If the weather is hot, please drink plenty of water and stay hydrated. Also, be familiar with the sings and symptoms of dehydration. (Thirst–>fatigue –> irritability –> dry mouth –> feeling hot –> confusion)

12. 12.Be smart, safe and enjoy your weekend.

Additionally, each year Smith Point Lifeguards demonstrate to our Suffolk County Beach Goers trade of lifeguarding. Our day started with:

9:50 AM – Team Picture

10:00 Beach Opens and placement of US Flags in designated areas

10:20 – 11:20 Beach Flags Preliminaries

This year our Beach Flags 4th of July champions were Brian Costello and Brianne Jackolski. To see full results please click here.

History ….

The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies, then at war with Great Britain, regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adamsput forth a resolution earlier in the year which made a formal declaration inevitable. A committee was assembled to draft the formal declaration, to be ready when congress voted on independence. Adams persuaded the committee to select Thomas Jefferson to compose the original draft of the document,[2] which congress would edit to produce the final version. The Declaration was ultimately a formal explanation of why Congress had voted on July 2 to declare independence from Great Britain, more than a year after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War. The Independence Day of the United States of America is celebrated on July 4, the day Congress approved the wording of the Declaration.

After ratifying the text on July 4, Congress issued the Declaration of Independence in several forms. It was initially published as a printed broadside that was widely distributed and read to the public. The most famous version of the Declaration, a signed copy that is usually regarded as the Declaration of Independence, is displayed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Although the wording of the Declaration was approved on July 4, the date of its signing was August 2.[3] The original July 4 United States Declaration of Independence manuscript was lost while all other copies have been derived from this original document.[4] (Read more …)

(www.wikipedia.com)