GO HERE: AMERICAN RED CROSS OFFERS NO PROOF IT BANNED FACILITY OFFERING FRAUDULENT CERTIFICATIONS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO ROXIE FORBES DROWNING

GO HERE: AMERICAN RED CROSS LOOSENED LIFEGUARD CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS DURING PANDEMIC DESPITE THEIR OWN RESEARCH

Since the preventable drowning death of their daughter last June at the Altadena recreational child care facility known as Summerkids, Meow Meow Foundation principals Doug Forbes and Elena Matyas have identified multiple concerns related to American Red Cross (ARC) water safety programming for which they have recently demanded prompt changes nationwide.

“The DiMassas and the Red Cross rep that they hired 10 years ago knowingly gamed the system, which led to our daughter’s death,” Forbes said. “These people must be punished for their deadly scheme, but the Red Cross must also improve a system that afforded just enough daylight for them to do what they did.”

According to staff statements and corresponding documents, ARC representative Andrew Cervantes and Summerkids owners Cara, Joe, Maria and Giancarlo DiMassa knowingly failed to provide requisite lifeguard and water safety instructor training to counselors. Cervantes nonetheless accessed the ARC system to issue bogus certifications, including for himself, while the DiMassas lied to parents that dozens of counselors were certified lifeguards and water safety instructors.

Summerkids counselors took on lifeguard and water safety instruction duties, for children as young as three, despite knowing they did not receive requisite training or any testing. According to a series of documents, the DiMassas paid a fraction of traditional training fees.

“One of our core goals is to improve water safety measures for children,” said Matyas. “The DiMassas knew what they were doing. But the Red Cross should have also known what the DiMassas and Cervantes were doing. We cannot and will not allow children to die due to bad actors, loopholes and limp attempts at accountability.”

Forbes and Matyas said they are gravely concerned about the rise in childhood drownings. Lack of proper adult supervision plays a major role in preventable drownings. Since the ARC is the leading provider of lifeguard and water safety certification, the couple has demanded a series of measures that requires change in ARC oversight nationwide, including but not limited to:

• Thorough assessment and visitation of potential ARC instruction facilities — known as Licensed Training Providers — before authorization, including operational and emergency action plans, water facility surveillance, adequate insurance, potential background checks. If authorized, such facilities must be subject to annual assessments thereafter. Right now, the American Red Cross does not know if a Licensed Training Provider facility has a baby pool, a bathtub or no water at all.

• American Red Cross lifeguard and water safety instructor representatives must report to designated ARC staff members in order to gain access to the certification system and must prove training and testing were properly administered with written tests logged into the Red Cross database.

• Review of current certification processes to determine efficacy of training, testing and recertification, especially where it concerns 15-year-old lifeguards and water safety instructors.

• Assess lifeguard-to-bather ratios, currently 1 to 25, and reduce if possible or where applicable based on research.

• Participation in a national public service announcement campaign with Meow Meow Foundation on improving ARC systems to better safeguard our most vulnerable citizens.

Roxie Forbes attended Summerkids beginning June 17 of last year. The Altadena, CA, recreational child care facility actively promoted swimming and water safety assistance as primary components of its outdoor programming. Roxie drowned at the end of her second week.

According to multiple statements and incident reports, counselors neglected Roxie and performed an improper rescue effort. In the wake of the drowning, owner-operator Cara DiMassa has repeatedly said that “4 Red Cross certified lifeguards were at the pool.” DiMassa has thus far refused to admit to orchestrating the scheme that granted bogus certifications to the counselors at the pool when Roxie died and to potentially more than 100 counselors since 2010. Documents and deposition testimony, including testimony from Summerkids employees, prove otherwise.