Welcome
The Drowning Prevention Research Centre is the lead agency for
drowning and water-incident research in Canada. The Centre conducts
research into fatal and non-fatal drowning, significant aquatic
injury and rescue interventions. Ongoing research and analysis
supports evidence-based water-rescue training and drowning
prevention education.
Background
The Drowning Prevention Research Centre Canada is the new name
of the Water Incident Research Alliance (WIRA), which was
established in March 1999 as an alliance of the following
organizations: Canadian Coast Guard, Canadian Institute for Health
Information, Canadian Red Cross Society, City of Toronto,
Lifesaving Society Canada, Ontario Provincial Police, and Parks and
Recreation Ontario.
WIRA was incorporated as a non-profit organization on June 6,
2001 and approved by the Canadian federal government as a
registered charity in May 2007. In 2010, WIRA became the Drowning
Prevention Research Centre Canada and operates today as an
independent non-profit organization.
Role and Responsibilities
The role of the Drowning Prevention Research Centre Canada is to
provide "the facts" - the who, what, where, when and why of
water-related incidents and injuries. The Centre provides useful
data to organizations involved in water safety, drowning
prevention, and search and rescue.
The Drowning Prevention Research Centre Canada:
- Undertakes primary research when needed and not available from
a credible, reliable source.
- Encourages and facilitates others to undertake research that
will support drowning prevention strategies.
- Collects and maintains a water-incident database related to
fatal drowning, non-fatal drownings, significant injuries and
responder interventions.
- Disseminates research data in a timely manner to media and
relevant stakeholders including government.
- Encourages the delivery of drowning prevention programs and
public education campaigns.
Current Projects
- Collect and analyze drowning data from provincial coroners'
offices annually (ongoing since 2001).
- Collect and publish weekly data on Canadian fatal and non-fatal
drownings and significant water-related injuries.
- Publish the official annual provincial/territorial drowning
reports.