Parks & Recreation May 2022

M AY 202 2 N R PA .O RG

CYBER THREAT PROTECTING YOUR

AGENCY FROM DATA HACKERS

The 411 on Emergency Preparedness National Water Safety Month

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contentsmay 2022 volume 57 | number 5 | parksandrecreation.org

Cyberattacks are capable of affecting our workplaces, homes, schools and governments.

FEATURES

34 Protecting Against the Digital Unknown Paula M. Jacoby-Garrett

Discover best practices for safeguarding yourself and your organization from a cyberattack.

4

Parks & Recreation

40 Is Your Organization Ready for an Emergency?

Jaimie Clout, CPRP, CPO, LGIT, FF1&2, EMT-B

Learn why having a training mindset matters in emergency preparedness.

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44 Recognizing Water Safety Month

Tara Eggleston Stewart, CPRE, M.S.

Explore best practices for water safety with an emphasis on equity and inclusion.

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contents may

columns 8

departments 12

16

We Are Parks and Recreation

10 Editor’s Letter Shifting Our Thinking About Emergency Readiness Vitisia Paynich

Inclusive Recreation: A Pathway Toward Friendship 12 Recruiting the Next Generation of Park and Recreation Professionals 13 Belonging – Making Parks Relevant to a Diverse Population 14 Member Benefit: Background Screening Best Practices 15

20 Advocacy

Research

22 Health and Wellness

Delving Into the 2022 Agency Performance Review Melissa May

18

Perspectives Parks and Recreation: Protecting Public Health Kristine Stratton

STORM Act: New Federal Funding for Resilience Kyle Simpson

Revitalizing Senior Centers: Then and Now Jean Keller

24 Equity

Park Pulse Parks and Recreation Provides First-Aid Training and Certification Opportunities

. quity in Parks, Recreation and Aquatics E Kathryn Hosey

26 Conservation

48 Operations Embracing a Change in Field Maintenance Practices Rick Perruzzi, CSFM, CPRP

The Role of Parks in Disaster Planning, Recovery and Response Taj Schottland

28 Law Review

49 Products 50 Park Essentials

Forest Preserve Gun Ban Second Amendment Challenge James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D.

55 Advertiser Index 56 Park Bench Providing More Than Education Kelly Ussia

Cover image: Cammeraydave Dreamstime.com

Parks & Recreation is printed using soy ink on at least 10 percent post-consumer recycled paper and is mailed in a wrap — only when required — that is plant based and certified compostable. If you are interested in helping us go even greener, email us at prmagazine@nrpa.org and ask to opt out of receiving the print magazine. Parks & Recreation is always available to read in an ezine format at ezine.nrpa.org.

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Page 22

While more than 11,000 U.S. senior centers serve 1 million older adults per day, little is known about who attends and why.

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P E R S P E C T I V E S A M E S S A G E F R O M N R P A’ S L E A D E R S

Parks and Recreation: Protecting Public Health We have talked a lot recently about parks and recreation as part of the public health system — that parks and recreation serve as Community Wellness Hubs (tinyurl.com/bdm6ncpf). The American Public Health Association describes public health as promoting and protecting the health of people and the communities where they live, learn, work and play. As part of the public health system, parks and recreation have an inherent role of safety and protection that plays out in numerous ways.

There are the operating practices that reflect the role parks and recreation play in supporting the safety of our patrons. May is National Water Safety Month, an annual awareness campaign that NRPA supports to highlight water awareness and swim safety in coalition with the American Red Cross and the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (tinyurl.com/ 5n7cu7kb). You can read more about this in the article titled “Recognizing Water Safety Month” on page 44. Our professionals play a critical role in delivering aquatics programs rooted in solid safety practices, and in doing so, they increase the overall water safety of the communities they serve.

Another public health protection practice that we have grown all too familiar with is that of emergency response. And yet, no matter the status of your emergency response plans, there is always room for improvement and updating. We’ve witnessed public health events, like the pandemic, extreme weather occurences, wildfires, power outages, work stoppages, incidents of violence, and on and on.

The threats are extensive and the importance of reviewing emergency response plans and assessing vulnerabilities cannot be overstated.

As part of NRPA’s ongoing efforts to curate content and organize resources, we have been adding to our library of online learning sites we partner with to ensure that our members have access to helpful courses and resources. We recently added a series of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 8

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links that support park and recreation professionals’ critical role in emergency response preparedness (tinyurl.com/4z7cwvrk). These are tools that support the development of plans in accordance with the National Disaster Recovery Framework developed and updated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (tinyurl.com/6c9c25x9).

There is a statement in the framework that really hits home and links so beautifully with parks and recreation’s community focus, which is: “The guiding principles remind us of the importance of how we work together to support survivor needs and build resilience.”

There is arguably no government function that more directly links to all members of the community than parks and recreation, and through our community engagement practices, we are best positioned to engage in emergency response preparedness and the critical work of supporting survivor needs and building overall community resilience.

The National Disaster Recovery Framework delves into another important topic area that we are covering in this issue — that of technological threats. Preparing against the threat of cyberattacks is a universal concern and one that the park and recreation field must address through operating practices and staff awarenessbuilding and training. More information on this challenge is shared in the article, “Protecting Against the Digital Unknown,” on page 34.

In my March column, I wrote that an essential truth is that parks and recreation are critical community infrastructure. We must all leverage that truth through thoughtful emergency response plans, strong safety practices, and defensive steps aimed at protecting against cyber threats. The world is getting more complex and challenging, but park and recreation professionals are adaptive, solution-oriented, and definitely up to facing these challenges.

KRISTINE STR AT TON President and CEO

2377 Belmont Ridge Rd. | Ashburn, VA 20148 2 703.858.0784 | nrpa.org

NRPA’S MISSION: To advance parks, recreation and environmental conservation efforts that enhance the quality of life for all people.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Chair of the Board of Directors Carolyn McKnight-Fredd, CPRP Eagle Methods Management Consulting Dallas, Texas

Treasurer Xavier D. Urrutia Alamo Colleges District San Antonio, Texas

Joanna Lombard University of Miami School of Architecture; Miller School of Medicine Department of Public Health Sciences Miami, Florida

Mollie Marsh-Heine Earthjustice Boulder, Colorado

Carolyn McKnight-Fredd, CPRP

Secretary Joshua Medeiros, Ed.D., CPRE

Eagle Methods Management Consulting Dallas, Texas

City of Bristol Parks and Recreation Bristol, Connecticut

Joshua Medeiros, Ed.D., CPRE

At Large Nonet T. Sykes Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. Atlanta, Georgia

At Large Mike Abbaté, FASLA, LEED AP Abbaté Designs Portland, Oregon

President and CEO Kristine Stratton, Ex Officio National Recreation and Park Association Ashburn, Virginia

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Michael Abbaté, FASLA, LEED AP Abbaté Designs Portland, Oregon

Kathy Abbott Boston Harbor Now Boston, Massachusetts

Jesús Aguirre, CPRE

Arnold L. Randall Forest Preserve District of Cook County Chicago, Illinois Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. Atlanta, Georgia

Xavier D. Urrutia Alamo Colleges District San Antonio, Texas Richland County Recreation Commission Columbia, South Carolina

Greg A. Weitzel, M.S., CPRP City of Las Vegas Parks and Recreation Las Vegas, Nevada (Retired) Kaiser Permanente Northwest Region Portland, Oregon

Lexington, South Carolina

Anne S. Close

Jose Felix Diaz

James H. Evans

Greening Youth Foundation Atlanta, Georgia

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EDITOR’S LET TER

Shifting Our Thinking About Emergency Readiness For the past two years, this pandemic has challenged us in ways we never thought possible — all while extinguishing that clichéd and wornout notion: “It could never happen here.” On top of a global health crisis, our nation has grappled with wildfires, extreme weather events, mass shootings and even cyberattacks. And yet through it all, park and recreation agencies across the country remain resilient while providing comfort and aid to their communities. So, it seemed only fitting for us to devote our May issue to safety and emergency response.

Living in a digital world affords us certain conveniences and rewards; however, we often forget the risks that come with advanced technology. In the cover story, “Protecting Against the Digital Unknown,” on page 34, author Paula Jacoby-Garrett explains how local governments and agencies can become major targets of data breaches and theft, with damages totaling billions of dollars. She also identifies the various cyber threats and offers tips for safeguarding yourself and your park and recreation agency from a crippling cyberattack.

Does your organization prepare for natural disasters? Do you have access to mobile crisis resources, if necessary? Can your organization provide translation services in the event of an emergency? These are just a handful of questions that contributor Jaimie Clout, a seasoned aquatics supervisor and safety expert, believes park and recreation professionals should be addressing when preparing for an environmental disaster or traumatic event. In the article, “Is Your Organization Ready for an Emergency?” on page 40, Clout also explains why it’s vital to have a training mindset from the get-go. “Learning how to synergize the resources you have along with the resources available to you is critical in planning for emergencies,” she writes. “The more training that is done, the more prepared your organization will be to handle any emergency that may arise.”

As we celebrate the aquatics industry during National Water Safety Month in May, contributor Tara Eggleston Stewart points out that fatal drowning and water-related injuries in our communities is a national public health crisis that disproportionately impacts people of color and individuals with disabilities. In the feature article, “Recognizing Water Safety Month,” on page 44, Eggleston Stewart also shares sobering statistics. For example, Black children ages 10 to 14 drown in swimming pools at rates 7.6 times higher than white children, while kids on the autism spectrum are 160 times more likely to experience nonfatal and fatal drowning than their neuro-typical peers. She writes, “It is critical for agencies and park and recreation leadership to advocate for keeping pools funded and accessible to communities most in need.”

The common thread running throughout the pages of this issue is not just about the importance of creating comprehensive safety and emergency response plans for our staff and patrons, but also understanding that a one-size-fits-all approach to crisis preparedness is contrary to sound equitable practices. Thus, our efforts must be intentional and inclusive. After all, the more park and recreation professionals begin shifting their thinking about emergency readiness, the more community members of all abilities along with local elected officials will see you for what you truly are — first responders.

VITISIA “VI” PAYNICH Executive Editor Director, Print and Online Content 10

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PRESIDENT AND CEO Kristine Stratton VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER Gina Mullins-Cohen gcohen@nrpa.org EXECUTIVE EDITOR AND DIRECTOR OF PRINT AND ONLINE CONTENT Vitisia Paynich vpaynich@nrpa.org ASSOCIATE EDITOR AND WRITER Lindsay Hogeboom lhogeboom@nrpa.org MANAGER OF ONLINE CONTENT Jennifer Fulcher-Nguyen jnguyen@nrpa.org PUBLICATION DESIGN Kim Mabon/Creative By Design CreativeByDesign.net SENIOR CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT OFFICER WESTERN REGION AND ASIA Michelle Dellner 703.858.4635 mdellner@nrpa.org SENIOR CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT OFFICER EASTERN REGION AND EUROPE Paul Semple 916.880.5225 psemple@nrpa.org DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR Melissa Hunter 703.858.2199 mhunter@nrpa.org PHOTOGRAPHY Dreamstime.com or NRPA (unless otherwise noted)

MAGAZINE ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS Anthony-Paul Diaz, Chair Michael Abbaté, FASLA Neelay Bhatt Ryan Eaker Beau Fieldsend Kathleen Gibi Paul Gilbert, CPRP Tim Herd, CPRE Brian Johnson, CPSI Denise Johnson-Caldwell Roslyn Johnson, CPRP Michele Lemons Sam Mendelsohn Maria Nardi Lisa Paradis, CPRP Paula Sliefert Shonnda Smith, CPRP, AFO Ronnetta Spalding Anne-Marie Spencer Stephen Springs

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WE ARE PARKS AND RECREATION Inclusive Recreation: A Pathway Toward Friendship

By Lisa Drennan

W

hen we focus on an individual’s gifts and values they can share with their community, we take the first step in facilitating and fostering a friendship based on a mutual interest that two people share.

We live in a world where isolation and loneliness are becoming an increasing challenge for all communities, and especially for people with disabilities. Creating opportunities for friendships and genuine connection is important now more than ever. Recreation can provide the perfect environment for this to happen.

Loneliness Even before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, isolation and loneliness were experienced by people with disabilities at a considerably higher rate than their non-disabled peers. Thus, it is crucial that we work to create opportunities for social connectedness and belonging.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARIE BLACKBURN

Friends Cheyanne and Chase participate in a swim class together at their local YMCA.

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Prior to COVID-19, 45 percent of people with intellectual disabilities reported feeling lonely (tinyurl.com/24xdaz3h) — that is compared to only 10.5 percent of the general population (tinyurl. com/2usnxvff). This has only elevated the level of disconnectedness.

It has been said that an antidote for loneliness is friendship; however, having friends is not achieved as easily for people with disabilities. Compared to the general population, people with disabilities have fewer friends, less social support and are more socially isolated (tinyurl.com/4yh8k4ep).

Research has shown that children with disabilities engage in less physical activity compared to their typically developing peers (tinyurl. com/4wpedsdr). By supporting children with disabilities to participate in community sports and activities, children gain activityspecific skills, group participation skills, self-esteem, increased independence and opportunities to engage in positive peer interactions (tinyurl.com/3me6evps).

Inclusive recreation provides an ideal setting for this to occur. An instructor is uniquely positioned to begin the connection that could lead to an authentic friendship between a person with, and a person without, a disability.

Friendships Friends are good for our health; they help celebrate good times and are supportive during bad times. Friends inhibit loneliness and give a reciprocal opportunity to also offer needed companionship. Friends also can increase a person’s sense of belonging and purpose, boost happiness and reduce stress (tinyurl.com/2p8hj4ee).

Why Recreation?

We participate in recreational opportunities with others because of common interests. Recreational activities present perfect opportunities and foundations for a friendship to be built. Work and school environments focus on intelligence and productivity, and measurements associated therewith, thereby creating separation or labels. Recreation is fun. Everybody possesses the ability to have fun, feel fun and experience fun. It is what people choose to do with their time, and where people want to spend their time.

Recreational settings offer an ideal opportunity to foster friendships. Opportunities for meaningful connection should be created in a way that leads to friendship between peers, both with and without disabilities.

Friendship doesn’t always just happen. It calls for proactive steps by instructors and administrators alike. It not only requires creating a welcoming and accessible environment for people with disabilities to participate, but also intentional actions to foster authentic peer relationships. This creates a culture where someone transitions from simply participating to a place of actually belonging.

Lisa Drennan is Founder of MERGE Diverse Abilities Inclusion Consulting (lisadrennan@mergeconsulting.org).

Recruiting the Next Generation of Park and Recreation Professionals

By Colton Patak

W

hen I was first hired by a local park and recreation department as a camp counselor, I had no idea what direction I wanted my life to go. Over the years, I moved up through the ranks to become a program supervisor of youth care programs. One day, I was headed to my first day of school as a pre-med student, even though my heart wasn’t in it, when it dawned on me that the current job that I had and loved so much could turn into a career.

Later that day, I dropped out of all my medical classes and applied at Miami University, Oxford, where I was accepted a couple of weeks later. I’m now in college doublemajoring in sports leadership and management and public administration, with the goal of developing a career in parks and recreation.

Growing up in a lower-middleclass family, there were not a lot of options for affordable fun and games. There were two things I could always count on for fun activities: our local recreation center and parks. As young as I can remember, I’ve had fond memories of taking

cooking classes, swimming lessons, basketball — any classes the center offered my mom signed me up for them. And on the days I didn’t have classes or didn’t want to go swimming, we’d go to a park. The recreation center and parks were happy and safe places for me growing up. It is amazing to think that I now work for that exact same department and can help give other families and children the same experiences I had.

How can we implement these experiences on a larger scale?

How can we encourage kids, high schoolers and even young adults to pursue careers in parks and recreWhere there is unity, there is community.

ation? How can we create opportunities similar to mine that inspire the next generation of park and recreation professionals? There are two answers: a simple solution and a complex solution. The simple answer is marketing, not only for programs and events, but also for jobs and career opportunities. If local departments reached out to local job fairs, colleges and high schools, or gave presentations at those schools, that step alone would produce a significant increase in new park and recreation professionals.

The complex answer is that local departments need to work diligently on creating communityenriching events and programs that bring the family and community together while maintaining affordability. We also need to work with “competing” organizations to better the lives of our community members and increase the quality of programs offered. Where there is unity, there is community. As Michelle Obama once said, “Success isn’t about how much money you make.

It’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.” Together, we can work to make a better community with enriching programs and safe spaces, and inspire the next generation of park and recreation professionals to pursue a rewarding career that changes lives.

Colton Patak is with the City of Kettering Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department (colton7patak@gmail.com).

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W E A R E P A R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N

Belonging – Making Parks Relevant to a Diverse Population

By Paul Gilbert

B

“

elonging” is the end result of diversity, equity and inclusion. If people can see something of themselves in a place or program, they will feel a sense of belonging. As with most issues, it is helpful to focus on the end result and then work back from there to be effective.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA REGIONAL PARK AUTHORITY

Most, if not all, park and recreation agencies have been thinking about issues of diversity, equity and inclusion in new ways over the past few years. Parks and recreation is at the core of every community, and we want our places and programs to be relevant to all the people we serve.

With land comes history, and one way to make parkland engaging is to tell a more complete and inclusive history. Telling this inclusive history helps everyone see the many people and groups who have walked these lands before us and put current events into a fresh perspective.

This past February, Northern

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Virginia Regional Park Authority (NOVA Parks) hosted four Black history events in three counties.

Each of these events was done in partnership with the local county chapters of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The Board of Supervisors chair for each county was involved in the events, as well as many other local elected officials.

Three of the events were along the Washington and Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail, a 45-mile trail that was one of the first rails-to-trails in the country. Three identical interpretive signs were unveiled in each of the three counties the trail goes through: Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun. The signs tell the story of segregation laws that affected the passenger rail service in the first half of the 20th century. “These signs recognize/acknowledge a painful part of our past, a time when laws were created to treat Blacks unequally,” says Karen Campblin, NAACP Fairfax County Chapter president. “Although Jim Crow laws have been overturned, it’s important to remember what Black Americans This past February, Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NOVA Parks) hosted four Black history events in three counties.

have endured and to make sure that we are all treated with dignity and respect in the future.”

While diversity, equity and inclusion are a focus of many organizations, there also is an effort by some to push back against things like diversity training and Black history education. We live in a time when these issues are regularly in the headlines. At all four events in Northern Virginia, there were some who expressed appreciation that there was an effort to highlight local Black history in a way that would stand for decades to come. Pastor Michelle Thomas, NAACP Loudoun County Chapter president, spoke of the power of the partnership between NOVA Parks and the NAACP. While the first three events were along the W&OD, the most popular trail in Virginia, the final event was the dedication of a recently discovered and researched graveyard that is believed to be a site where enslaved people were buried. This site had become part of the forest over the years, but several indentations in the ground were indications of its use more than 150 years ago. With ground-penetrating radar and the search through old records, NOVA Parks was able to shed light on the history of this site, which sits on a bluff overlooking a river.

“NOVA Parks was created for and is dedicated to serving our many and diverse Northern Virginia communities,” says Cate Magennis Wyatt, NOVA Parks’ chair. “Our mis-

The open discussion of history embodied in the four new NOVA Parks interpretive signs and the programming of space in a way that promotes inclusion lead to a sense of belonging.

sion, in addition to creating places for recreation, is to ensure our shared historic places are conserved and our stories memorialized, even if those stories hold up a mirror to some of our worst moments.”

Programs and interpretive efforts are some of the fastest and most impactful ways to effect change in park and recreation diversity.

During the summer of 2021, The Carlyle House, which is an 18th century mansion/museum run by NOVA Parks, hosted a Juneteenth celebration focusing on the arts.

When a site that was built and run by enslaved people hosts a celebration focused on Black artists, the perception of that place chang-

es. In Northern Virginia, many groups, including Korean, Bolivian, Pakistani, Persian, Indian and LGBTQ+, all have festivals and events on NOVA Parks lands. The open discussion of history embodied in the four new markers and the programming of space in a way that promotes inclusion both lead to a sense of belonging.

Parks can and do bring people together. They are public lands that belong to everybody. Part of our challenge in running parks is to do what we can, so that everyone in our area feels the parks are open, welcoming and relevant to them.

Paul Gilbert is Executive Director of Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (pgilbert@nvrpa.org).

Member Benefit: Background Screening Best Practices

B

ackground Investigation Bureau (BIB) and NRPA’s partnership was created to help park and recreation agencies conduct background screenings better. Here are a few things to keep in mind to help prevent risk:

What is your background check costing you? Selecting background checks based on the lowest cost can lead to a low-quality screen. The best approach is to ask, “Are we getting the best quality screen for a fair price?”

How healthy is your data? Most information received by states is through county records. Ideally, the information would be correct and complete; however, in many cases, the records are either missing data or inaccurate. You’ll need to assess what screening methods you are using to get the best data from every state relevant to your applicants.

Are you getting the full story?

When pertinent information is missing, it becomes challenging to make effective hiring decisions. Making sure you’re receiving the best data from as many sources as possible ensures you’re getting the full story.

What is the turnaround time?

While the majority of quality background checks are completed in less than 72 hours, most delays experienced are related to jurisdictions being searched. For example, a court runner is physically going to a courthouse. While this is a highly effective process, it can lead to longer turn-

around times because of court access hours, staff or technology available.

It’s important to know of any jurisdictions you may be accessing regularly that could drive common delays.

For more information on how your agency can develop the best background screening methodology, visit www.bib.com. NRPA members will gain peace of mind knowing that your volunteers and employees are well-vetted using some of the most advanced background checks available. Visit tinyurl. com/2p82hpvc to take advantage of your discount.

PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N .O R G | M AY 2 02 2 |

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RESEARCH Delving Into the 2022 Agency Performance Review

By Melissa May

T

wo years into the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, one thing is clear: parks and recreation is essential. Each year, 260 million people across the United States visited a park, trail, recreation center or other park and recreation amenity at least once. This is thanks to the efforts of more than 165,000 full-time park and recreation staff and the hundreds of thousands of part-time and seasonal workers and volunteers across the United States working tirelessly to ensure that every person in every community benefits from the programs and facilities that parks and recreation offers.

These dedicated people at the more than 10,000 local park and recreation agencies support services and facilities that offer rewarding recreation opportunities, deliver vital emergency services and promote better physical and mental health.

Quantifying the work of park and recreation professionals and their agencies helps demonstrate the role of parks and recreation in your community to internal colleagues, external consultants, partners, policymakers and key stakeholders.

The 2022 NRPA Agency Performance Review (nrpa.org/APR) summarizes the key findings from NRPA Park Metrics (nrpa.org/Metrics) — the benchmarking resource that assists park and recreation professionals in the effective management and planning of their operating resources and capital facilities. The combination of insights from this report and NRPA Park Metrics, along with information about your community’s specific needs and experiences, will help identify the optimal mix of facilities and programming your agency should deliver.

Throughout the report, data are presented on the “typical” agency.

Understanding that no agency 16

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is “typical,” additional crosstabulations by jurisdiction population or population density also are presented. More comprehensive cross-tabulations are available as interactive tables at nrpa.org/ Metrics. The 2022 NRPA Agency Performance Review presents data from more than 1,000 unique park and recreation agencies across the United States, as reported between 2019 and 2021.

Key findings from the 2022 NRPA Agency Performance Review include:

Park Facilities • Residents per Park – There is typically one park for every 2,323 residents.

• Acres of Parkland per 1,000 Residents – The typical park and recreation agency has 10.4 acres of parkland for every 1,000 residents in the jurisdiction.

• Outdoor Park and Recreation Facilities: Prevalence and Population per Facility – An overwhelming majority of park and recreation agencies have playgrounds (95 percent) and basketball courts (86 percent) in their portfolio of assets.

• Miles of Trails – The typical park

and recreation agency manages or maintains 14 miles of trails for walking, hiking, running and/or biking.

• Indoor Park and Recreation Facilities: Prevalence and Population per Facility – A majority of agencies offer community centers and recreation centers; two in five agencies offer senior centers.

Programming • Programming Offered by Park and Recreation Agencies – Key programming activities include themed special events, social recreation events, team sports, fitness enhancement classes, and health and wellness education.

• Targeted Programs for Children, Older Adults and People With Disabilities – Eighty-three percent of agencies offer summer camp for their communities’ younger residents.

Responsibilities of Park and Recreation Agencies • Key Responsibilities of Park and Recreation Agencies – Top roles include operating and maintaining parks, trails and indoor facilities; providing recreation programming and services; and conducting jurisdiction-wide special events.

• Other Responsibilities of Park and Recreation Agencies – Operating, maintaining or contracting special purpose parks, pools and racquet sports areas lead the list of other agency responsibilities.

Staffing • Park and Recreation Agency Staffing – The typical park and recreation agency has a payroll of 49.4 full-time equivalent staff (FTEs).

• Park and Recreation FTEs per 10,000 Residents – The typical

park and recreation agency has 8.9 FTEs on staff for each 10,000 residents in the jurisdiction served by the agency.

• Responsibilities of Park and Recreation Workers – Operations and maintenance, programming, and administration are the primary responsibilities of park and recreation workers.

•

•

Budget • Annual Operating Expenditures – The typical park and recreation agency has annual operating expenditures of $5,079,256.

• Operating Expenditures per Capita – The typical park and recreation agency has annual operating expenses of $93.01 on a per capita basis.

• Operating Expenditures per Acre of Park and Non-Park Sites – The median level of operating expenditures is $7,823 per acre of park and non-park sites managed by the agency.

• Operating Expenditures per FTE – The typical park and recreation agency spends $102,530 in annual operating expenditures for each employee.

• Distribution of Operating Expenditures – At the typical park and recreation agency, staffing costs account for 54 percent of the operating budget.

• Operating Expenditures Dedicated to Parks or Recreation – The typical park and recreation agency dedicates 45 percent of its operating budget to park management and maintenance and 42 percent to recreation.

Funding • Sources of Operating Expenditures – Park and recreation agen-

•

•

•

cies derive 61 percent of their operating expenditures from general fund tax support.

Park and Recreation Revenues per Capita – The typical park and recreation agency generates $22.08 in revenue annually for each resident in the jurisdiction.

Revenue as a Percentage of Operating Expenditures (Cost Recovery) – The typical park and recreation agency recovers, on average, 23.6 percent of its operating expenditures from non-tax revenue.

Five-Year Capital Budget Spending – Park and recreation agencies will spend a median of $8 million in capital expenditures budgeted over the next five years.

Targets for Capital Expenditures – On average, 56 percent of the capital budget is designated for renovation, while 30 percent is geared toward new development.

Value of Deferred Maintenance Projects per Agency – On average, park and recreation agencies have $16.7 million of deferred maintenance projects on their books.

Policies • Park and Recreation Policies – Four in five park and recreation agencies ban the use of tobacco products at most/all of their parks and facilities.

• Agencies With an Expressed Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in Their Foundational Documents – Eighty percent of park and recreation agencies have an expressed commitment to DEI in their foundational documents (e.g., vision, mission and strategic plan documents).

• Agencies With Hiring Practices and Policies That Promote a Di-

verse Workforce – Ninety-two percent of park and recreation agencies have hiring practices and policies that promote a diverse workforce.

Next Steps Dig deeper into the 2022 NRPA Agency Performance Review data using the interactive tools at nrpa.org/Metrics.

Create an NRPA Park Metrics account to build a customized benchmark report based on your preferred peer group. Go into NRPA Park Metrics to filter the data by agency type, size and geographic region. Enhance this experience even further by entering your agency’s data to compare it with the key metrics of agencies throughout the United States.

Thank You The NRPA Research team would like to acknowledge all those park and recreation professionals who made this report possible. We know this has been another difficult year for everyone and your commitment to sharing data and advancing the field through your participation in NRPA Park Metrics is incredibly appreciated.

Whether your agency represents a community of 800 or 8 million, whether this was your first year or 10th year contributing, whether you collaborated with co-workers in the office or tackled the survey from your home office, we thank each and every one of you for making this possible.

Agencies that contributed to this report by submitting data within NRPA Park Metrics will be receiving their custom Agency Performance Review via email. If you would like more information on how to be a part of next year’s report, please contact Melissa May at mmay@nrpa.org.

Melissa May is NRPA’s Senior Research Manager (mmay@nrpa.org).

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NRPA PARK PULSE

Parks and Recreation Provides First-Aid Training and Certification Opportunities

88% of U.S. adults agree it is important that the public has access to first-aid training and certification opportunities.

72% of park and recreation agencies offer safety training classes to the public.

92% of agencies provide first-aid training and certification opportunities to their staff.

Each month, through a poll of 1,000 U.S. residents focused on park and recreation issues, NRPA Park Pulse helps tell the park and recreation story. Questions span from the serious to the more lighthearted. The survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com).

Visit nrpa.org/ParkPulse for more information.

ADVOCACY

STORM grants differ from traditional FEMA grants in that they allow local governments to invest in mitigation infrastructure and can reach communities much faster than previous loan programs.

STORM Act: New Federal Funding for Resilience

By Kyle Simpson

T

he Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation (STORM) Act was signed into law on January 1, 2021, following a bipartisan “voice vote” in both the House and Senate in December 2020. The legislation creates a resilience-revolving loan fund, similar in many ways to the highly successful Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, which provide low-interest financing for water infrastructure projects in communities.

While this vital resiliency program was established on the first day of 2021, it did not actually receive any funding, and rather was reliant on the annual federal appropriations process. With the past year’s stalemate surrounding passage of a spending bill for fiscal year 2022, the program continued to go unfunded. However, the November 15, 2021 passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, now known alternately as the Bipartisan

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Infrastructure Law (BIL), brought a $500 million appropriation of funds to the STORM program.

Under the new program, funds will flow from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to state, tribal and territorial governments, which will then provide loans to local governments.

Communities will use the loan funding to carry out new projects to mitigate against any potential future event deemed by FEMA as

“catastrophic,” such as storm surges, flooding, earthquakes or wildfires.

The specifics of the grants include: individual project funding up to $5 million; interest rates not to exceed 1 percent; and repayment terms up to 20 years after project completion, or up to 30 years for projects benefiting lowincome communities. The application process will prioritize applications for projects that increase resilience of natural and built infrastructure.

Ideally, these low-interest loans will be paid off with savings from the mitigation efforts, as costly disaster response projects will be less imperative due to the pre-emptive resilience efforts. Industry studies support this savings concept, with the National Institute of Building Sciences reporting a total of $6 saved in disaster response for every $1 spent on mitigation efforts.

STORM grants differ from traditional FEMA grants in that they allow local governments to invest in mitigation infrastructure

and can reach communities much faster than previous loan programs.

This is extremely important, as natural disasters increase in frequency and severity due to climate change.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that 2020 was the 10th consecutive year when 10 or more billion-dollar natural disasters impacted the nation.

The 2020 slate totaled $16 billion in disasters, with 11 severe storm events, three tropical cyclone events, one drought event and one wildfire event. The impacts of these events can cost up to 8 percent of our nation’s economy per year; as such, mitigation-related savings could have a large impact on the federal fiscal budget. A new study published by the Johns Hopkins University 21st Century Cities Initiative and American Flood Coalition also reported that a $1 million investment in flood infrastructure projects could produce up to 40 new jobs in related sectors (tinyurl.com/3ss5f8y5). At that scale, a $1 billion investment could produce up to 40,000 new jobs on top of the mitigation-related savings.

U.S. Senator Gary Peters (DMI), chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, was instrumental in securing passage of the legislation, as well as the $500 million appropriation to the program included in the BIL. “This funding will kick start my STORM Act loan program and give states and communities access to new opportunities to invest in major infrastructure upgrades from seawalls to stormwater drains that will protect residents, homes and small businesses from these disasters,” says Senator Peters.

FEMA is still working to effec-

tively disseminate its $500 million to communities throughout the United States. NRPA will continue to track this process closely and will alert members as soon as

more information on the flow of funds is available.

Kyle Simpson is Director of Government Affairs at NRPA (ksimpson@nrpa.org).

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

While more than 11,000 U.S. senior centers serve 1 million older adults per day, little is known about who attends and why.

Revitalizing Senior Centers: Then and Now

By Jean Keller

I

n fall of 2019, more than 5,000 older adults and 45 directors worked together to rejuvenate senior centers in north Texas. Currently, 54.1 million Americans are 65 years or older and make up 16 percent of the population (tinyurl.com/53ddsd3n). Renewed programs and services are needed to support this growing population’s physical and psychosocial (psychological and social) health and well-being needs.

Senior Center Engagement Surveys and focus groups were conducted in urban, suburban and rural senior centers and worship sites to learn about center participation interests and patterns.

Senior center participants described facilities and programs as: “state of the art,” “keeps me active,” “special places,” “friends,” “lifelong learning,” “travel opportunities,” and “meeting health and nutritional needs”; as well as “boring activities,” “a waste of time,” “new facilities 22

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needed and “nothing better to do.”

While more than 11,000 U.S. senior centers serve 1 million older adults per day, little is known about who attends and why. Like national trends, 69 percent of the survey and focus groups’ senior center participants were female and 58 percent attended three times a week. Fitness and exercise programs were primary reasons for attending. Centers with fitness and aquatics facilities were preferred.

Travel, educational, game, enter-

tainment, arts, crafts, dancing, sewing, music, sports and outdoor programs drew engagement at suburban centers. Nutrition, health, medical, transportation and social services were key draws for participation in urban and rural areas.

The average age of senior center participants is increasing nationally. In this study, adults’ ages ranged from 51 to 95 years with 79 years being the average age. Most centers were open to individuals ages 50 and older, while some programs had financial, age and residential restrictions. About 65 percent had center membership fees and offered scholarships. Center participants were most often white, followed by Black, mixed race and Asian, with 21 percent

identifying as Hispanic. Many participants were above poverty levels and had high school diplomas.

Younger participation trends toward suburban, larger, new and comprehensive senior centers.

And Then Came the COVID-19 Pandemic During the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, senior centers closed in February or March 2020, and most remained closed until January 2021. Nutritional services were available as drive-thru service continuously during the pandemic even though centers were closed.

Participants often created small lunch groups in nearby parks and were often seen walking or exercising after eating. Outdoor walking trails were popular when indoor tracks closed. Some center participants travelled around the world and learned new skills virtually and loved it. Exercise, fitness, music, crafts, dancing, entertainment and cooking programs continued with live video; on-demand, prerecorded programs; and booklets. Older adults could check out tablets and laptops along mobile hot spots to stay connected. Adult coloring books, meditation and relaxation activities were disseminated to relieve stress.

Outreach to participants by phone, video and home-delivered materials, as well as through peer connections, were instituted by nearly every center.

Senior center and public health staff worked collaboratively, sharing health and vaccine information.

Services offered during the pandemic helped center participants meet basic needs (food, utilities, shelter, clothing and safety), maintain mental and emotional health, engage in physical activity, and stay connected. During the pandemic shelter-in-place mandates, nearly all senior center participants found services were needed, helpful and appreciated.

Participants often created small lunch groups in nearby parks and were often seen walking or exercising after eating. instrument or joining a gospel sing-along, and are continuing as participants return to centers. Outdoor programs like hiking, bird watching, lawn bowling and shuffleboard expanded.

Nearly all center directors indicated virtual programming will increase and face-to-face programming will continue. Many centers celebrated holidays, such Valentine’s or St. Patrick’s Day, at a distance in fun-filled ways. One center director summarized what many expressed: “Who would have thought a pandemic could reinvigorate, renew and revitalize senior centers.”

Jean Keller is a Professor at the University of North Texas Department of Kinesiology, Health Promotion and Recreation (jean.keller@unt.edu).

What’s Next?

In January 2022, 21 directors, who were part of this rejuvenation investigation, were asked if the COVID-19 pandemic revitalized senior centers. In summary, most felt older adults of color, in poor health and with lower socioeconomic backgrounds needed additional services and they found ways to secure them.

Some participants were busy caring for grandchildren while their parents worked. Intergenerational arts and crafts, music, exercise, dancing and cooking activities were offered virtually with daycare coordinators. New hobbies were introduced, such as learning to play an

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EQUITY

Equity in Parks, Recreation and Aquatics Changing the narrative by building equity and understanding within the field

By Kathryn Hosey

W

hen recently discussing (with non-recreation colleagues) my opportunity to attend our local state “park and recreation” conference, I found myself explaining that my department — aquatics — is part of the larger park and recreation industry. The first look of surprise followed by the casual, “Hmm…really? That’s interesting,” response led me to dive into an overly complicated explanation of how many community pools are managed and operated. I was surprised by my need to explain our seat — the greater aquatics seat — at the park and recreation table.

When I took a step back to examine why I was surprised, I realized it was not for a lack of inclusion. We are included in municipal structure (even if housed under “Parks and Recreation”) and at conferences,

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there are aquatics tracks. There are webinars and trainings devoted to aquatics and aquaticsspecific certification(s) housed within NRPA resources. However, the problem is a lack of both education and equity — education

There is a disconnect between demand on aquatics professionals and their supervisors’ understanding of what they do.

within our communities and equity within our departments and organizations. As parks, recreation and aquatics professionals, how do we begin to address this?

A Deep Dive As I began to look at aquatics with more magnification, a few things stood out to me. First, there’s a deficit with the demand of the job and risks involved in relationship to aquatics salaries. Second, there is a disconnect between demand on aquatics professionals and our supervisors’ understanding of what we do. The deficit is a ripple effect, from our highest level of aquatics training to the lowest. From aquatics directors to lifeguards, the deficit between salary and risk of the job is ever increasing. Lifeguards are

not widely viewed or paid as first responders, yet they do the job of first responders. We do not view aquatics supervisors, directors and coordinators as first responders, yet they are expected to respond as such.

I realized the disconnect is that many decision-makers and/or supervisors of aquatics professionals within our field (park, recreation and aquatics) have a lopsided idea about what goes into running an aquatics facility or site. There’s no palpable feeling for the day-to-day challenges, the evening stress or the 3 a.m. thoughts about “what if ?” They might have experience running recreation programs, organizing senior center activities or maybe even performing park maintenance, all of which can apply, to some degree, to aquatics.

They likely have experience dealing with an upset customer or the juggling of staff to be able to open on time. However, have they ever had to weigh the likelihood whether a late-night phone call from work is a time clock issue versus staff notifying you that they have pulled someone from the bottom of the pool? I venture a suggestion: unless an individual has managed an aquatics facility or site, they do not know the risk.

vere risk of litigation, revoked certification/licensure, as well as lifelong devastation for you and the employees you are responsible for. The daily risk in aquatics is unmatched; the demand is high and yet our coordinators, supervisors and directors are viewed the same way as their park and recreation counterparts.

Equity To say, “Increased salaries to match the level of risk will fix our problems” would be naive. I do, however, believe a few things would make a huge difference: • Emphasize “aquatics” in the overall conversation of parks and recreation. Change the narrative to reflect “parks, recreation and aquatics.”

• Eliminate the disconnect. Ev-

eryone overseeing an aquatics professional should participate in a lifeguard in-service, a staff training or simply “a day in the life.”

• Repair the deficit. Recognize that lifeguards and aquatics professionals are first responders and the demand of the job is high, and then adjust salaries and benefits to reflect that.

Unfortunately, deficit and disconnect go hand in hand. Until the disconnect is repaired and there is a full, well-rounded understanding of what aquatics professionals do, the deficit will continue to grow and good aquatics professionals will leave the industry all together.

Kathryn Hosey is Aquatics Coordinator for the DeForest Area School District (khosey@deforestschools.org).

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PHOTO COURTESY OF THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND/ERICA WILLIAMS

C O N S E R VAT I O N

A partial view of the Incident Command Center established at the San Geronimo Commons Property in response to the Woodward Fire in California.

The Role of Parks in Disaster Planning, Recovery and Response

By Taj Schottland

T

urn on the news, and there’s a good chance you’ll hear about a natural disaster striking a community somewhere in the United States. That’s because natural disasters are becoming more frequent and more severe as the climate crisis accelerates, and also because communities continue to develop areas vulnerable to climate-driven hazards. Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration paint a stark picture. Billondollar disasters are increasing, and in 2021 alone, we experienced 20 such weather-related disasters, causing $145 billion in damages (see chart, p. 27).

Parks can have a positive impact before, during and after a disaster strikes. Here are a few ways parks help reduce community vulnerability and improve resilience.

Before disaster strikes: According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), on average, every $1 spent on natural hazard mitigation saves $6 in future disaster costs (tinyurlcom/2p9yx72w). FEMA’s

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new report, Building Community Resilience With Nature-Based Solutions, lays out a path for incorporating parks and other green spaces into hazard planning (tinyurl.com/4kepsnwu). Naturebased solutions, including specially designed parks, trails and green spaces, can reduce flooding, cool cities during dangerous heat waves, protect against wildfires and more.

Your town likely already has a

hazard-mitigation plan that identifies the major threats to your community, along with strategies to reduce your vulnerability. As a practical step, find out who is leading your city’s hazardmitigation or climate-adaptation plan and start a conversation about integrating parks into those efforts.

Parks also provide less tangible, but equally important, benefits. We know parks can help build social cohesion (tinyurl.com/ 55xwk7rf), which is a key ingredient to a community’s resilience (tinyurl.com/2cuphmz9). The way we design and program parks can help facilitate human interactions, create bonds between neighbors, and strengthen respect and trust among community members. During times of disaster, a strong social fabric

could determine success or failure.

During a disaster: Depending on the type of disaster, parks can serve several different functions. For example, during a heat wave, parks with splash pads and adequate tree canopy provide a cooling oasis for residents who lack air conditioning. Going a step further, park departments can create designated “cooling centers” in publicly owned air-conditioned buildings, which is exactly what Burlington, Vermont, did during a dangerous heat wave this past summer (tinyurl.com/yckarvan). Parks also can serve as disaster response headquarters or distribution sites. During summer of 2020, firefighters battling the Woodward Fire in California established their Incident Command Post at the San Geronimo Commons — an old golf course that The Trust for Public Land and its partners turned into a publicly accessible park.

The property has since been used to host coronavirus (COVID-19) testing and vaccination events, community blood drives and drive-thru food banks, among other activities.

After a disaster: If your community has flooded, been impacted by wildfire or experienced a prolonged heat wave or drought, there’s a decent chance it will happen again. After a disaster occurs, take stock of the damage and then assess how you can reduce your vulnerability the next time. Often that might mean replacing built infrastructure with parks and green spaces designed for future climate conditions. For example, back in 2002, Atlanta’s historic Vine City neighborhood suffered catastrophic flooding that damaged hundreds of homes. Instead of simply rebuilding, the community created a new vision for the neighborhood, anchored by a state-of-the-art park designed with

NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION/CLIMATE.GOV MEDIA

The history of billion-dollar disasters in the United States each year from 1980 to 2021, showing event type (colors), frequency (left-hand vertical axis) and cost (right-hand vertical axis).

green infrastructure that collects and manages 9 million gallons of stormwater. Created by The Trust for Public Land and City of Atlanta, Cook Park now protects 160 acres of adjacent property (and the residents who live there) from flooding (tinyurl. com/2p84jd79).

There are many ways to incorporate parks or entire park systems

into hazard-mitigation planning, response and recovery efforts. To learn more, see FEMA’s guide to nature-based solutions, which includes a more in-depth overview of planning processes, funding sources and other best practices (tinyurl. com/4kepsnwu).

Taj Schottland is Associate Director, National Climate Program at The Trust for Public Land (taj.schottland@tpl.org).

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L AW R EV I EW

In Soloman v. Cook County Board of Commissioners, the plaintiff challenged a state law and a forest preserve ordinance that prevented concealed carry license holders from carrying concealed weapons in the Forest Preserve District of Cook County.

Forest Preserve Gun Ban Second Amendment Challenge

By James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D.

I

n the case of Solomon v. Cook County Board of Commissioners, 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 173175 (E.D. Ill. 9/13/2021), Plaintiff Simon Solomon challenged a state law and a forest preserve ordinance that prevented concealed carry license holders from carrying concealed weapons in the Forest Preserve District of Cook County (FPDCC) in Illinois.

The Illinois Firearm Concealed Carry Act (the Act) expressly prohibited the concealed carry of a firearm on or into any real property under the control of the Cook County Forest Preserve District.

430 ILCS 66/65(a)(14) (Section 65(a)(14)). The Illinois General Assembly did not extend this prohibition to any other county forest preserve district in the state.

In pertinent part, Section 65(a) (14) of the Act prohibited any “licensee” from “carrying a con-

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cealed firearm into the parking area of a prohibited location,” including FPDCC property. A concealed firearm could, however, be carried into the parking area as long as the individual “stores the firearm or ammunition concealed in a case within a locked vehicle or locked container out of plain view within the vehicle in the parking area.” 430 ILCS 66/65(b).

FPDCC Ordinance 3-3-6 prohibited concealed carry licensed holders from knowingly carrying a

firearm on or into FPDCC property.

Between July 13, 2011 and August 31, 2018, there were 16,741 violations of various ordinances within the FPDCC; 226 of those violations were categorized as weapons violations.

Plaintiff Solomon, a 63-year-old Cook County resident, had been visiting properties owned by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County (FPDCC) for about 40 years. Plaintiff also is a firearm owner and obtained his Illinois concealed carry license (CCL) approximately five years ago. The process included completing a paper application and attending a 16-hour, two-day class.

On April 30, 2015, Plaintiff stopped at his usual fishing location

within the Skokie Lagoons on his way home from work. In the summertime, Plaintiff drives to the Skokie Lagoons and fishes at the same spot every night on his way home from work. The Skokie Lagoons are FPDCC property, consisting of seven lagoons connected by channels on the Skokie River. Plaintiff knew this FPDCC property closed each night at sunset.

As Plaintiff was concluding his fishing for the night, he was approached by a FPDCC police officer for being on FPDCC property after sunset. The FPDCC officer discovered that Plaintiff was carrying a weapon in violation of FPDCC Ordinance 3-3-6 and arrested him. The FPDCC confiscated two firearms from Plaintiff, a .45 caliber Colt Semi Auto handgun and a North America Arms .22 caliber Derringer. Plaintiff has never been assaulted, attacked or threatened on FPDCC property.

Second Amendment Claim Plaintiff sued FPDCC, alleging 430 ILCS 66/65(a)(14) and FPDCC Code Section 3-3-6 violated the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution.

Plaintiff petitioned the federal district court to declare Section 65(a)(14) and Ordinance 3-3-6 unconstitutional and issue an injunction prohibiting government officials from enforcing these laws. In so doing, Plaintiff asked the court to invalidate both laws “to the extent that they are applied to prohibit private citizens who are otherwise qualified to possess handguns from carrying handguns for self-defense in forest preserves of Cook County.”

The State of Illinois intervened to defend the constitutionality of

the state statute. Defendant Cook County and the State of Illinois claimed the statute and the ordinance were both constitutional on the grounds that “the entire Forest Preserve District is a ‘sensitive place’ on which firearms regulations are presumptively lawful,” because these laws were “substantially related to public safety.”

As cited by the federal district court, the Second Amendment states: “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” U.S. Const. amend. II. Further, the court noted the U.S. Supreme Court, in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller, had held the Second Amendment effectively codifies a preexisting “individual right to possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation.” 554 U.S. 570, 592, 128 S. Ct. 2783, 171 L. Ed. 2d 637 (2008).

As described by the court, Heller had struck down the District of Columbia’s ban on the possession of usable handguns in the home because the law prevented citizens from using, or even having, “the quintessential self-defense weapon” in the place where the “need for defense of self, family, and property is most acute.” In the opinion of the federal district court, “Heller left open many questions related to the Second Amendment, including what level of scrutiny to apply to firearms regulations.” The court, however, noted the Supreme Court in Heller was “clear that its ruling would not invalidate all restrictions on owning or carrying firearms,” including “laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places, such as schools and government

buildings.” The court, however, acknowledged the Supreme Court in Heller did not otherwise explain or elaborate on what counts as a “sensitive place.”

“Sensitive Place” Analysis In this case, Defendants had contended the entire FPDCC is a “sensitive place,” as referenced in Heller, because these properties are “a recreational space where children tend to congregate.” As characterized by FPDCC, “the Ordinance protects children in family-oriented, sensitive areas designed for their education and enjoyment.”

In response, Plaintiff had argued that it was “not appropriate for the Illinois General Assembly to call all 70,000 acres of the Forest Preserve District a sensitive place” in the challenged state statute. Further, Plaintiff argued that it was “illogical to call Cook County’s forest preserve district a sensitive place, but not to do the same for any of the forest preserve districts in Illinois’ 101 other counties.”

When compared to any of the other forest preserves in Illinois, Defendants countered that FPDCC was significantly “different in terms of the number of visitors it has and the size of some of its attractions.”

As identified by the federal district court, “the critical issue in this case” was “not the difference between the FPDCC and forest preserves in other counties, but the differences among the various FPDCC sites.”

In determining whether a particular location is properly designated a “sensitive place,” the federal district court would analyze and discern the traits of designated “sensitive places.” As characterized by the court,

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L AW R EV I EW

such “sensitive places” would typically involve “gatherings of large groups of people or performance of government functions”: When a location is designated as a “sensitive place,” all examples of that location tend to have the trait that justifies the designation. For instance, all schools have groups of children present.... In contrast, when a regulation sweeps up different types of locations, with rationales that differ or vary in strength, it tends to fare poorly on judicial review.

70,000 Acres of Distinct Sites In determining the size and location of a designated “sensitive place,” the federal district court recognized FPDCC “is not a single place or type of place.” Instead, the court found FPDCC “is a large set of ‘distinct, non-adjacent’ places, covering 70,000 acres, which is more than 11 [percent] of the land in Cook County and an area roughly half the size of the City of Chicago.”

Moreover, the court noted the pretrial record did not state “how many different FPDCC sites there are.” While “the FPDCC website had a location list which contained roughly 320 separate entries,” the court found it “difficult to tell how many separate pieces of property or sites there are.” According to the court, it was “clear that the FPDCC is comprised of scores, if not hundreds, of different locations”: Crucially, not all FPDCC locations are of the same type. On one end of the spectrum is the Chicago Botanic Garden, an example Defendants repeatedly point to, which hosts roughly a million visitors per year and offers a wide range of 30

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facilities and activities. The Chicago Botanic Garden offers adult education classes, symposia, professional certificate programs, and spans 385 acres, including 26 gardens and four natural areas. On the other end of the spectrum is, for example, Bluff Spring Fen, a nature preserve that allows hiking but bars fishing and even dogs and has no obvious developments besides a parking lot.

Under such circumstances, the federal district court concluded: “FPDCC is not a single place, or even a category of the same kinds of places, like schools and post offices.” Given such “a wide range of different sites with different facilities that are all owned by the Forest Preserve District,” the court found this range of sites and facilities undermined FPDCC’s claim that “such a spread of locations could be designated a single sensitive place.”

Moreover, in the opinion of the court, properly designating one location a “sensitive place” would not necessarily allow “the government to give the same designation to a different, non-adjacent location.”

Further, the court determined the mere fact that “children are present on FPDCC property,” as well as “the presence of large gatherings of people,” would not justify designating the entire FPDCC as a “sensitive place.” On the contrary, the court found the pretrial record had failed to demonstrate “the presence of children or large crowds on all FPDCC sites, or reveal how many FPDCC sites have these traits”: Perhaps the presence of children would qualify those FPDCC sites as “sensitive places,” but Defendants do not present, and the Court is not aware of, any

authority for treating all of the “distinct, non-adjacent” locations as “sensitive places” merely because a subset of them qualify.

Public Recreation Safety According to FPDCC, the governmental interest in public safety justified a ban on guns in the forest preserve to effect “protection people in recreational areas, especially children, from gun violence.” The federal district court acknowledged: “Public safety is unquestionably a strong governmental interest.” That being said, the court also noted the challenged gun regulations must still bear a “substantial relationship” to that strong governmental interest.

To “explain the extent of the government’s interest,” FPDCC had presented the following data on “the visitors to FPDCC property, especially children”: The FPDCC receives approximately 62 million visitors annually with many facilities and activities aimed at children, including nature centers, youth athletic leagues, campgrounds, Ecological Stewardship Program, the Mighty Acorns Program, and the Citizen Scientists program.

The Forest Preserve District also hosts educational programming by other organizations, volunteer events, and permitted activities, such as picnics, all of which have minors in attendance.

As characterized by the federal district court, FPDCC had, for the most part, presented “aggregate data about types of visitors (youth vs. adult), types of locations, and types of activities.” The court, however, noted this information was “not broken down geographically.”

According to the court, FPDCC’s data from 2017 and 2018 had indicated “there were roughly 30 athletic leagues with permission to use FPDCC property and that each athletic event ranged in attendance from 20 to 100 people.” The court, however, noted this data failed to indicate “where those athletic events occurred, or whether they all happened on the same few FPDCC sites or whether they were spread more evenly across its 70,000 acres.”

While recognizing the public safety interest, in general, and FPDCC, in particular, was wellestablished, the court found the record was “uncertain or weak as to the entirety of the FPDCC,” specifically the presence of children in some areas of the FPDCC.

Regulation Relationship to Safety To pass constitutional muster, the federal district court would require “the government must show a substantial relationship between the regulations and its interest in public safety, with a fairly close fit (though a perfect fit is not required).” In this particular instance, FPDCC, therefore, had to “show a substantial relationship between prohibiting CCL holders from carrying firearms in the FPDCC and the safety of visitors, especially children.”

Based upon its review of the pretrial record, the federal district court held FPDCC had failed to show this required “relationship between CCL holders and threats to public safety.” Moreover, the court found “no evidence that the regulations reduce crime or prevent injuries or death.” In particular, the court noted: “Almost none of the data in the record concerns

CCL holders, or if it does, the parties have not disaggregated CCL holders from non-CCL holders.”

Instead, the court found FPDCC data had simply relied on general violent crime statistics from Cook County and the City of Chicago to demonstrate a threat to public safety, without identifying “any violent crimes committed by CCL holders.”

With regard to FPDCC in particular, the court noted only four of “all the crimes committed in the Forest Preserve between 2014 and 2019” were “committed by CCL holders.” Moreover, the court found those crimes were “all violations of Section 65(a)(14)”; i.e., “the crimes committed by CCL holders were only unlawful concealed carry, not murder, assault, armed robbery, or other violent crimes.” Similarly, the court noted “the record shows between 2011 and 2018, a mere 14 violations of Ordinance 3-3-6.”

Since the pretrial record did not contain “evidence that CCL holders committed other crimes in or out of the FPDCC,” the federal district court held “the link between regulating their conduct and public safety tenuous.” Moreover, in the opinion of the court, the record did not contain any evidence that “prohibiting CCL holders from carrying firearms in the FPDCC will otherwise reduce crime, prevent injury, or save lives”: Defendants here offered no evidence connecting concealed carry by CCL holders to any threat to public safety, much less a threat within the regulated area, the FPDCC. Defendants had to provide some link between the regulated activity and their interest in public safety, but that link is not in the record.

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L AW R EV I EW

Disconnected Crime Data With regard to “public-safetyoriented evidence,” the court found general evidence of criminal activity in Cook County and Chicago was “related only loosely, if at all, to the Forest Preserve District.” In the opinion of the court, such evidence of Chicago crime data was “unhelpful because only 5 [percent] of FPDCC land is within Chicago city limits and Defendants do not explain why the dangers of urban gun violence should be attributed to forest preserves.”

Similarly, the court found FPDCC’s crime data from Cook County was “geographically disconnected from the places regulated by Section 65(a)(14) and Ordinance 3-3-6 with no explanation for why they should apply to the Forest Preserve.” Accordingly, the court held FPDCC had failed to establish “dangers for public safety inside the Forest Preserve that could be ameliorated by barring CCL holders from carrying firearms in the Forest Preserve.”

The federal district court did acknowledge: “the government has established a high number of visitors to some, but not all, FPDCC sites, and the presence of children on some, but not all, FPDCC sites.” The court, however, found “the record contains little information on the concentration or spread of visitors across the range of FPDCC properties or types of property (aside from the Botanic Garden).” In the opinion of the court, this information in the record was, therefore, “a shaky foundation for a regulation that applies to all of the Forest Preserve District.” Moreover, the 32

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court found FPDCC had “shown little threat to public safety in the FPDCC, and even less involving concealed firearms, and none by CCL holders”: Nor has the government provided evidence that the current low threat of gun violence in the FPDCC is a result of Section 65(a)(14) and Ordinance 3-3-6. Both restrictions regulate people whom and behavior that the government has not demonstrated pose such a danger to public safety that a ban on otherwise lawful concealed carry is justified through the entirety of the Forest Preserve District.

As a result, based on the evidence in the record, the federal district court held “the firearms regulations at issue to be unconstitutionally overbroad,” because Section 65(a)(14) and Ordinance 3-3-6 were “not substantially related to the interest that the government identified.”

The court, however, did not hold that “the government necessarily must justify such a restriction on a site-by-site basis.” Instead, the court indicated FPDCC “may be able to do so for categories of sites or activities, such as, hypothetically, nature centers or athletic facilities.” In so doing, the court rejected FPDCC’s argument that “it would be impossible or unworkable for them to identify places within the Forest Preserve where children are present, perhaps even in a way that would qualify as a ‘sensitive place’ under Heller”: [N]othing in the caselaw suggests that they would have to write regulations that vary by time of day or that apply only when children are present; school zone laws without such variance

have been upheld despite children not being physically on school grounds [24] hours per day, seven days per week, [365] days per year. In fact, the Illinois General Assembly has already made these kinds of distinctions.

Proposed Legislative Response Accordingly, the federal district court held the challenged “firearms regulations at issue to be unconstitutionally overbroad.”

In finding “Section 65(a)(14) is unconstitutional as written,” the federal district court acknowledged “the General Assembly is capable of identifying and writing legislation” to determine “whether or how to regulate concealed carry of firearms in different places in the FPDCC.” According to the court, such judgments are “best left to the legislature, and the legislature ought to have an opportunity to make those judgments.”

As a result, the federal district court issued an order which “temporarily stay enforcement of its ruling for a period of six months; i.e., until March 15, 2022, to provide the General Assembly an opportunity to act on this matter if it chooses to do so.” Similarly, Cook County would have to make a revised FPDCC Ordinance 3-3-6 consistent with the Second Amendment reasoning of the court.

On January 21, 2022, proposed legislation to amend the Illinois Firearm Concealed Carry Act (Senate Bill 3745) was introduced into the Illinois General Assembly

by Senator Ram Villivalam.

This Bill provides an extensive list of “sensitive places” within recreational areas and facilities. In

so doing, this Bill is an apparent attempt to clearly identify those different places in the FPDCC where prohibiting carrying firearms was substantially related to the safety of visitors, especially children. In pertinent part, a synopsis of the Bill described this proposed legislation language as follows: [A] licensee under the Act shall not knowingly carry a firearm into a campground, aquatic center, grounds of an aquatic center, boat launch, boating center, athletic venue, picnic grove, nature center, grounds of a nature center, pavilion, grounds of a pavilion, golf course, golf course parking lot, driving range, adventure course, grounds of an adventure course,

zipline building, grounds of a zipline, equestrian center, grounds of an equestrian center, exercise venue, grounds of an exercise venue, any Illinois Nature Preserve, Land and Water Reserve, or any public or private gathering or special event conducted on property that requires the issuance of a permit under the control of the Cook County Forest Preserve District....

According to TrackBill.com, once introduced, this Bill was referred to committee in the Illinois Senate with no further action scheduled (tinyurl.com/ bdd8e9ye).

Absent final action by the General Assembly before March 15, 2022, to amend the “unconstitutional as written” Section 65(a)(14), the

temporary stay of enforcement of the federal district court’s abovedescribed order would expire. At that point, having held Section 65(a)(14) and Ordinance 3-3-6 violated the Second Amendment, the federal district court would issue an injunction prohibiting government officials from enforcing these unconstitutional gun regulations in the FPDCC. See also: Right to Bear Arms Limited in “Sensitive” Public Facilities, James C. Kozlowski. Parks & Recreation. Apr. 2011 Vol. 46, Iss. 4 (tinyurl.com/3ctpcn4z).

James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D., is an Attorney and Associate Professor in the School of Sport, Recreation and Tourism Management at George Mason University (jkozlows@gmu.edu). Law review articles archive (1982 to present): mason.gmu.edu/~jkozlows.

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Protecting Against the

Discover best practices for safeguarding yourself and your organization from a cyberattack

By Paula M. Jacoby-Garrett

W

hile the world has been focused on the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic over the past two years, another type of threat has been lurking behind the scenes and steadily growing in its reach and its impact. Cyberattacks are capable of affecting our workplaces, homes, schools and governments. By targeting an individual or entity’s cyberspace, these attackers maliciously disrupt, disable, destroy or control another’s digital environment, and these kinds of attacks are on the rise. In 2021, the frequency of one type of cyberattack, ransomware, rose 10.5 percent, with attacks “endangering our food supply, our water supply, our fuel supply, our hospitals and our municipalities,” according to the 2022 SonicWall Cyber Threat Report (tinyurl.com/2h4z9nyv). Local governments are increasingly becoming targets of cyberattacks, with the estimated costs in the billions. Yet, many municipalities are ill-prepared and underfunded to protect against these attacks.

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Cyberattacks are capable of affecting our workplaces, homes, schools and governments.

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CYBERSECURITY

An important step in protecting yourself is to understand what risks are present and to assess your individual resilience to those risks. A place to start is reviewing the resources provided by the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Its overarching goal is to provide resources for organizations to build their cyber resilience to combat cybersecurity threats.

CISA has created a cybersecurity framework (see chart at right) that provides a guideline for individual organizations to assess and define their own cybersecurity needs and to identify any gaps in their own systems. Specific sector-based tools are available to meet specific needs (tinyurl.com/56pu3vzt).

KEY ATTRIBUTES CHART COURTESY OF NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY

Knowing Risks and Assessing Resilience for Organizations

CISA’s cybersecurity framework: • Identify – Develop the organizational understanding to manage cybersecurity risk to systems, assets, data and capabilities.

• Protect – Develop and imple-

ment the appropriate safeguards to ensure delivery of critical infrastructure services.

• Detect – Develop and implement the appropriate activities to identify the occurrence of a cybersecurity event.

• Respond – Develop and implement the appropriate activities to take action regarding a detected cybersecurity event.

• Recover – Develop and implement the appropriate activities to maintain plans for resilience and to restore any capabilities or services that were impaired due to a cybersecurity event.

Two-Factor or Dual-Factor Authentication This authentication method relies on the user providing a password as the initial factor, followed by a secondary factor, such as confirming with a code emailed or texted to you, or a biometric factor, like a fingerprint or facial recognition.

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Resources are available to state, local, tribal and territorial governments to assist in the recognition of their cybersecurity risks and to provide resources to address those risks.

Included are resources to identify threats, to protect against them, and to respond to those threats.

One resource CISA provides is the Cyber Resilience Review (tinyurl.com/ytjkjxf6). This voluntary assessment can be self-assessed or facilitated by a Department of Homeland Security professional.

These assessments review programs and practices across the organization, measuring current cyber strengths and weaknesses. Another resource CISA provides is the National Cyber Awareness System, which offers up-to-date alerts and tips to combat emerging cyber threats (tinyurl.com/2p9a9jp8).

Types of Threats While there are many types of cybersecurity threats, ransomware, phishing, crypto mining malware and Trojans are the most common. “Ransomware, now the fastest growing and one of the most damaging types of cybercrime,” according to Steve Morgan, editor-in-chief, Cybercrime magazine, is one of the top choices for cybercriminals, with attacks occurring every few seconds and causing damage costs in the billions.

Cities like Baltimore and Greenville, North Carolina, were hit with the devastating RobbinHood Ransomware. Though neither paid the ransom, the overall end cost was significant. While many entities refuse to pay the ransom, the threat still leaves its mark by halting many services and typically requiring systems to be rebuilt afterward, which causes a significant recovery cost.

For Baltimore, recovery costs were tens of millions, and the attack left

When Cyberattacks Affect Individuals While devastating and costly for a municipality, cyberattacks also can affect the individuals who work for or do business with that entity. For “Laura,” the nightmare of a cyberattack started with a piece of technology she used every day — her cellphone. (Editor’s Note: “Laura” is a pseudonym to protect her identity.) “I would go to use it, and a cursor would move across the screen. Then I was working on my home computer one night, and I got a pop-up, so I turned off the computer and went to bed. I turned the computer back on the next day, and the screen didn’t look familiar, and someone was controlling the screen. So, I went to another computer in the house, and it was doing the same thing. When I went into

Refused Ransom Demand vs. Recovery Cost (adapted from The Economic Impact of Cyber Attacks on Municipalities, KnowBe4, tinyurl.com/2yevmucn).

State

Population Affected

Demand

Recovery Cost

Maryland

619,493

$76,000

$10-18 million

Colorado

619,968

$51,000

$1.5 million

Georgia

523,738

$55,000

$17 million

Louisiana

390,144

unknown

$7-10 million

the office, the same virtual screen was on my computer,” she recalls.

The cyberattackers were able to access all her passwords and gain access to her online tax records, which contained both her and her husband’s social security numbers.

From there, they were able to access her bank accounts and her mutual funds. She had some of her mother’s health records stored on her computer, which allowed the attackers access to her mother’s retirement accounts as well. “Everywhere I turned — from my house to my work to my phone to my car — they were there. They were in every single electronic account you

can think of,” Laura says.

While she first noticed activity on her cellphone in August 2021, the forensic investigators found traces of the activity a year prior. “The police still don’t know where it started or when it started or who did it," she says. "I had to leave my job and move to another area of the country, just to feel safe.” Now Laura uses a password manager and has hired a company to secure her home internet at a personal cost of $750 per month. However, she still isn’t sure if she is completely protected.

Best Practices While cybercrime is ever changing

CHART COURTESY OF KNOWBE4

the city crippled for months.

For Justin King, chief of information technology (IT) at the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks, the 2019 ransomware attack resulted in major changes. “It took the worst thing that could possibly happen [to make change]. Previously, there wasn’t enough investment in cybersecurity; it was overlooked. There have been astronomical changes since then. We looked at our network from the ground up, and we completely rebuilt it. One of the most substantial changes to our system is two-factor authentication. It’s something people don’t think is critical, but it changes everything and makes such a tremendous difference. The root cause of the ransomware was someone’s password being compromised. [To keep current,] we have calls daily with all the IT leadership in the city. We get briefed every single day by our information security department, and they tell us what’s going on.”

THE AVERAGE FINANCIAL LOSS

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CYBERSECURITY

Common Cyberthreats Ransomware A top offender in the municipality cyber threat arena, ransomware is a type of malware that takes sensitive information then encrypts it so it can no longer be accessed. A ransom is demanded for the unlocking of the information.

While municipalities are subject to a host of cybersecurity threats, ransomware has been one of the top choices for malicious attackers. Refusal to pay ransomware demands have cost municipalities dearly, with recovery costs significantly higher than demand.

Malware Software is unknowingly installed on a machine that performs criminal actions for another party.

Denial of Service Attack This attack floods the target server with traffic, disrupting or bringing down the server.

Phishing Phishing utilizes an email or link that appears to be from a valid source. The attacker uses the link to get the victim to provide information, such as passwords or credit card details.

Crypto Mining Malware or Cryptojacking This malware utilizes the host’s computer to mine cryptocurrencies,

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such as bitcoin.

Trojan An attack that misleads users of its true intent to either steal personal information or install malware.

Man-in-the-Middle Attack An attack whereby the communication between two parties is intercepted. The attacker steals personal information or credentials.

Brute Force An attacker uses specifically designed software to repeatedly attack a system until a breach is made.

Next, the attacker installs malware.

Structured Query Language (SQL) Injections These attacks are specific to SQL databases, typically executed from a form on a webpage. If the webpage has not been set up properly, data that has been previously stored can be altered, deleted or read.

Zero-Day Exploit This type of attack typically uses a defect in software that has not been found and patched to enter a system and install malware.

and constantly evolving, there are best practices that can reduce risk and minimize the impact if there is a cyber breach. First and foremost, adequate funding must be available for cybersecurity. This includes staffing, which may include agency staff, as well as an outside cybersecurity contractor. Failure to adequately fund and staff cybersecurity will almost certainly lead to adverse cyber outcomes, which, in turn, will lead to unnecessary and significant costs to local governments. Donald Norris notes in his article, “A Look at Local Government Cybersecurity in 2020,” that the top four barriers to effective cybersecurity reported in a 2016 nationwide survey were “inability to pay competitive salaries to cybersecurity employees (58.6 percent); insufficient number of cybersecurity staff (53.1 percent); lack of funds (52.8 percent); and lack of adequately trained staff (46 percent)” (tinyurl.com/2s3ds3sx).

While funding is always a challenge, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that was signed by President Joe Biden in November 2021, includes $1 billion for cybersecurity in state, local, tribal and territorial governments. This largestever federal cybersecurity grant program could add much-needed funds in a sector that could use it.

Finding cybersecurity personnel, however, can be a complex process.

“We have a tremendous shortage of talented security,” said Aidan Kehoe, CEO at SKOUT Cybersecurity in a video podcast. Further complicating security, we have seen profound changes in workplace settings over the past two years. “You’ve seen a massive expansion of people’s footprint that work from home, so it’s not nice and tidy inside a network anymore,” which can lead to an increase in cyberattacks.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that was signed by President Joe Biden in November 2021, includes $1 billion for cybersecurity in state, local, tribal and territorial governments.

Responsibility lies on municipalities as well as the individuals who make up the workforce. Employees should be trained in cybersecurity and be held accountable for their cyber actions. Cybersecurity is an ever-changing, ever-moving target.

Policies should be reviewed and revised when appropriate and current threats should continually be monitored.

“The data reveals that state and local governments struggle to keep their heads above water. The weakest areas include a lack of support from top officials, ‘inefficient’ to ‘no end-user training at all,’ and ‘too many network/IT systems.’ The answer is not just to have great IT systems, but also to have personnel who are trained to recognize the threats, giving the IT department support in creating a human firewall,” according to KnowBe4 (tinyurl.com/2yevmucn).

Protecting against a constantly changing threat can be difficult but not impossible. “One of the biggest challenges for municipalities is trying to deal with all the potential cyber threats that are out there at one time,” says Erich Kron, security awareness advocate at KnowBe4. “They have to be very selective in where they put their resources because there is only so much to go around. What these organizations should do is look at the cyber incidents that have been causing them trouble. Everyone gets some sort of cyber incidents, and it makes sense for these organizations to look at where most of these threats are coming from and focus on how they can deal with that” (see chart, p. 37).

“Most of the time, these organizations are going to find out that email

phishing is their number one threat,” continues Kron. Creating training programs that teach people how to spot phishing attempts and providing a place to report them are key.

Also creating training programs that “teach them some better hygiene, such as how to make a secure password and the reasons why you don’t reuse passwords across multiple places. This is a big issue in cybersecurity — someone uses a password in one place, and that website gets breached.

Then they take that username and password and try it in all these other places. Concentrating on those things that are the biggest threats can have a significant impact in the security of these organizations.”

So, whether you are a small or large organization, or perhaps an individual looking to keep your data secure, defining good protocols — like unique password selection and two-factor authentication — coupled

Threats can come into our systems in many ways. Being prepared for those threats requires diligence, up-to-date information, and a trained and committed workforce protecting our digital environment. with a keen eye to types of threats you are vulnerable to, can make a significant difference. Getting support through cybersecurity consultants or advisors and using resources available from CISA can further your protection. Threats can come into our systems in many ways. Being prepared for those threats requires diligence, up-to-date information, and a trained and committed workforce protecting our digital environment.

Paula M. Jacoby-Garrett is a Freelance Writer based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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Emergency situations require staff to be rational, calm and apply their training urgently.

Is Your Organization Ready for an

Emergency?

Why having a training mindset matters

By Jaimie Clout, CPRP, CPO, LGIT, FF1&2, EMT-B

W

e all know the importance of having a culture of safety and preparedness. When training for emergency response, I’m often reminded of two quotes: “The way we act is determined by how we think,” from an anonymous source, and “We don’t rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training,” from Archilochus, an ancient Greek author. Ultimately, the decisions that we make as park and recreation professionals are directly correlated to the way that your brain is taught to think (process), while your body is trained to physically respond. When seconds matter, options must be considered and immediate action must be taken. The more thought and purpose put toward identifying actions that must be taken beforehand, the less time wasted and redundancies that occur during an actual emergency.

One of my key teaching points in training lifeguard staff is to constantly reiterate that they are the “first” first responders and must train like it. This includes always training for the worst-case scenario. Emergency situations require staff to be rational, calm and apply their training urgently.

I have worked in the public safety sector for more than 20 years and I have an extreme passion for aquatics, emergency preparedness and safety. Following are some best practices and critical questions that should be addressed when implementing a comprehensive emergency response plan and strategies for training your park and recreation staff.

Identify Your Risks Emergencies can happen at any time, anywhere. Park and recreation facilities are no exception to this fact. During the early days of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, park and recreation professionals had a unique opportunity to pinpoint recreational areas and athletic activities that were considered “high” risk. As a result, plans had to be created to reduce and mitigate the risk of disease transmission.

The same evaluation methods and levels of strategic thinking apply when taking the time to evaluate organizational risk in general. With that being said, it is important to take a detailed inventory of your organization’s level of risk and to continuously monitor and revisit

these levels of risk. Some areas of higher risk can include but are not limited to the following: Open water, swift water, swimming pools and chemical storage rooms: ✓ Does your organization have the appropriate rescue equipment, facility safety measures? ✓ Does your organization schedule staff based on facility usage? ✓ Are you providing appropriate and frequent training? ✓ Do you work with rescue dive teams? ✓ Are your chemicals stored properly, labeled properly, and do you have an updated Safety Data Sheet for all chemicals within your facility? ✓ Are you complying with your local health department to provide safe swimming areas for the public?

Ice skating rinks and ammonia refrigeration systems: ✓ What would your organization do in the case of a suspected or confirmed ammonia leak? Do you have leak detection systems in place? ✓ Is your organization properly

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EMERGENCY

maintaining equipment? ✓ Are your facilities’ HVAC systems functioning properly?

Tourist attractions (augmented risk when there are low-security considerations): ✓ What security and visitor accountability systems do you have in place? Do you have surveillance methods? ✓ What cash management systems do you have in place? ✓ Are there protections in place for threats of violence?

Large event venues and areas of mass gatherings: ✓ Are there areas of shelter in case of extreme weather or threats of violence? ✓ Have you considered hiring, contracting or staffing private duty police officers or EMS personnel?

Summer camps, overnight camps and childcare facilities: ✓ Can your facility offer appropriate care in the case of a medical emergency? Do you have emergency contact information on file for campers and staff ? ✓ Do you have adequate drop-off and pick-up procedures for parents and guardians? What levels of security and protection are there for facility access points?

Do you have reliable communication methods for staff ? ✓ How often are your counselors taking attendance? Do you have “buddy checks” while campers are swimming? Do you have lifeguards on staff ? ✓ Is there appropriate supervision of campers at all times? How about on field trips? ✓ Are your staff trained appropriately for the care of children? Do they know their responsibilities 42

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if they suspect abuse or neglect? ✓ Do you have proper cleaning and disinfecting procedures in place as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention? ✓ Is there consideration for accessibility should an emergency vehicle need to get to remote areas?

Fitness facilities, aging playgrounds and play features: ✓ Is your equipment inspected daily? Is routine maintenance performed at the appropriate times? ✓ Do you have replacement schedules for your equipment? ✓ How do you take a piece of dangerous equipment offline? How are you communicating with your public?

Areas of confined space or areas of recreation requiring highangle or technical rescue: ✓ Is there appropriate signage in place to designate hazards? Does your staff have appropriate levels of training? ✓ Do you have appropriate equipment to provide rescue in the case of an emergency? If not, what procedures are in place to obtain immediate resources?

Adventure rope course elements: ✓ Are inspections performed on your elements? What redundant safety checks are your staff performing? ✓ Is your equipment properly stored and ready for daily use? ✓ Do you offer properly fitting harness equipment for users?

Aviation hazards and contamination suspected areas: ✓ Do you have areas of lowhanging power lines? What other hazards may exist? ✓ Where would you land a rescue

helicopter? Do you have resources in place to aid in such rescue scenarios?

Additional considerations focus on the mechanisms and environments that cause injury along with the steady increase of mental and physical health issues within the public.

Emergency threats along these lines can include but are not limited to: Environmental emergencies and hazardous conditions: ✓ Does your organization prepare for natural disasters? Do you have designated areas for shelter? Do you have evacuation procedures and methods of mass transport in an emergency? How are you accessing more resources? ✓ Are there considerations and procedures in place to handle high heat and extreme cold emergencies?

Behavioral emergencies: ✓ Do you have access to mobile crisis resources, if necessary? Do you have methods for securing or barricading a threatening patron in place to eliminate risk of harm to themselves or others? ✓ Does your agency focus on training staff to handle mental health emergencies? ✓ Does your agency work collaboratively with local law enforcement?

Advanced medical emergencies (e.g., opioid overdose, self-harm and severe bleeding): ✓ Does your staff train on administering Naloxone in the event of an opioid overdose? ✓ How would your staff handle a threat of a death by suicide? ✓ Do you have emergency bleeding kits? Appropriate staff training?

When it comes to emergency planning and strategy, it is important to take into consideration risks associated with certain age groups and special populations as well: What potential risks are present for infants, school-age children, teens and seniors? ✓ Have you considered identification of: (1) choking dangers and slipand-fall hazards; (2) training on child-proofing, injury prevention and anti-bullying policies; and (3) appropriate staff training on diversity, equity and inclusion?

What potential risks exist for your special population user groups? ✓ Can your organization provide translation services in the event of an emergency? Can your organization communicate with those who may be hearing, speech or visually impaired?

What about those patrons who may be cognitively impaired or morbidly obese? ✓ Are your facilities accessible for people with disabilities? Are your special events accessible for people with disabilities?

Team Up With Your Local First Responders Teamwork is essential when dealing with an emergency situation. Every park and recreation staff member should have a clearly defined role.

Additionally, including your local first responders is key to incident preplanning. These agencies are highly trained in a variety of emergency response techniques and can integrate their knowledge and experience into your organization.

When it comes to risk and emergency preparedness, your local fire-

A quality safety plan clearly defines roles, responsibilities and procedures for each staff member.

fighters have developed preplanning strategies for a number of buildings and facilities within your town or city. They can bring in specialized equipment to assist with rescue operations and handling hazardous materials. Your emergency medical service providers have protocols and online medical direction to provide emergency prehospital care for all kinds of medical emergencies, including mass casualty incidents.

Lastly, your law enforcement agents have specialized training in terrorism, active shooter scenarios and large-scale threats. All of these public safety personnel have roles and duties in an emergency.

Learning how to synergize the resources you have along with the resources available to you is critical in planning for emergencies. Practicing and drilling your staff is important to your daily operations but these training procedures should be done annually in conjunction with your local first responders, so that all rescuers can train properly in their roles. The more training that is done, the more prepared your organization will be to handle any emergency that may arise.

Creating Your Safety Plan A quality safety plan clearly defines roles, responsibilities and procedures for each staff member.

Communication procedures are explained, resources are listed, and all staff are expected to demonstrate competency and knowledge of the contents of the plan. Training must

be conducted annually and metrics for competency should be implemented and constantly evaluated.

Ideally, your organization’s safety plan should be incorporated into daily operations. Some specific elements of your organization’s safety plan should include the following but should not be limited to: • Chain of command expectations • Scenario-specific emergency action plans with detailed instructions — Emergency action plans should encompass standard operating procedures and standard operating guidelines if you currently have these instituted within your organization • Communication methods • Contingency plans if you have them

It’s About Preparation In summary, we can use this acronym to highlight the key points in emergency preparedness for your park and recreation organization: P – Preplanning R – Resources available E – Emergency action plans P – Partnerships within the community A – Accessibility of your facilities for first responders R – Rules and regulations of your organization E – Education of your staff and public Jaimie Clout, CPRP, CPO, LGIT, FF1&2, EMT-B, is Aquatics Supervisor for City of Bristol (Connecticut) Parks, Recreation, Youth and Community Services (jaimieclout@bristolct.gov).

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g n i z i n g o c e R

Safety h t n o M

Best practices for water safety with an emphasis on equity and inclusion

By Tara Eggleston Stewart, CPRE, M.S.

M

ay is National Water Safety Month! But before we take that first monumental splash in the pool, it is important that we take a moment to reflect on the critical need for water safety — especially within communities serving higher numbers of diverse and/or economically-disadvantaged residents and individuals with disabilities. May 15 is International Water Safety Day (tinyurl. com/2kykmecw). Not only is this a time of celebration for the aquatics industry, but also it is a reminder of the need for increased water safety education, access to learn-to-swim programs and facilities, and implementation of drowning prevention strategies.

Fatal and non-fatal drowning in our communities is a national public health crisis, disproportionately impacting minorities and individuals with disabilities. These critical incidents can be prevented, and water safety education and drowning prevention strategies must be prioritized by the park and recreation field. What better industry than ours to provide public access to safely operated swimming pools, to train and develop aquatics professionals, and to offer water safety education and learn-to-swim programs for the community?

As park and recreation leaders, experts and users, we must commit to being inclusive and equitable regarding how facilities and programs are geographically

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located, funded, designed, operated and maintained. Park and recreation agencies are wellpositioned to reduce drownings through learn-to-swim programs and the provision of water safety education, promoting the need for water competency, providing and/or allowing the use of U.S. Coast Guard-approved lifejackets for non-swimmers, and fostering a vigilant lifeguarding team through regular in-service training. We — the nation’s park and recreation professionals — are the key to ending this public health crisis.

Creating Water-Well Communities Fatal drowning and water-related injuries continue to be a growing

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issue within diverse communities and among individuals with disabilities. Some of the latest statistics (tinyurl.com/35f9c2ua) tell us: • Sixty-four percent of African American, 45 percent of Hispanic/Latino, and 40 percent of Caucasian children have no/low swimming ability.

• Seventy-nine percent of children in families with a household income less than $50,000 have no/ low swimming ability.

• Children who qualify for free or reduced school lunch programs are 63 percent less likely to have good swimming ability.

• In swimming pools, African American children ages 10 to 14 drown at rates 7.6 times higher than Caucasian children.

• African American children and youth are more likely to drown in public pools, and Caucasian children and youth are more likely to drown in residential pools.

• Children with autism spectrum disorder are 160 times more likely to experience nonfatal and fatal drowning than their neurotypical peers.

• People with seizure disorders,

May 15 is International Water Safety Day.

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W AT E R S A F E T Y

such as epilepsy, are at higher risk of fatal and nonfatal drowning than the general population.

There are several strategies used

by The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) to foster and to support the development of a “waterwell community.” What does it mean to be a water-well community?

Water-well communities comprise residents, park and recreation agencies, and government officials who recognize the importance of keeping their communities safe in and around water through the provision of funded and accessible aquatics programs, services and facilities.

One of the strategies our aquatics program uses is developing watercompetent residents in Prince George’s County, Maryland, through the provision of our learnto-swim and water safety education programs for ages 6 months to 60 or more years. According to the American Red Cross, water competency is a way of improving water safety by avoiding common dangers, developing essential water safety skills to make you safer in and around the water, and knowing how to prevent and respond to drowning emergencies. Providing access to water safety information and learn-to-swim programs for all ages and abilities is an essential service for park and recreation agencies.

Our department utilizes

resources granted to us through the American Red Cross Aquatics Centennial Campaign to support the development of a strong “Ecosystem of Water Safety” in Prince George’s County. This generous support has allowed us to provide swimming lessons to children and to refund 50 percent of the lesson fees paid by caretakers if the children successfully complete learn-to-swim levels one through three and register for the next level swim lesson. The goal of this swim lesson incentive program is to create water-competent children who successfully complete levels one through three of our learn-to-swim program and who can navigate safely while swimming in our pools.

The Aquatics Centennial Campaign also has supported our “Lady Lifesavers” and “Guys Save Lives” mentoring programs, which provide free lifeguard prep swim lessons, lifeguard training and certification, aquatics career mentoring opportunities for teens, and employment opportunities with our department pools. The campaign also has provided funding to support free Water Safety Instructor and Lifeguard Management certification opportunities for employees interested in these higher-level opportunities.

Providing these aquatics training and employment opportunities to predominantly African American and Hispanic/

Latino residents further supports our goal of improving drowning statistics within these communities.

There are several outstanding learn-to-swim curricula used throughout the country. When selecting which program is best for your community, you will want to ensure the program emphasizes water safety education and skill building throughout the learnto-swim levels. You will want to ensure the program offers instructor development and/or certification options to ensure the most highly trained instructors are afforded to your community and leading the organization’s learn-to-swim program. Additionally, you will want to make certain the program provides inclusion guidance for instructors and/or training for modifying skills to accommodate learners of varying ability.

Providing water safety opportunities and access for individuals with disabilities or individuals of varying abilities has always been a priority for our department. We are fortunate in Prince George’s County to have an outstanding Therapeutic Recreation and Inclusion Services team. These subject matter experts provide invaluable guidance and support for our learn-to-swim and adapted aquatics programs to ensure residents of all abilities can participate in group and individual programs. This team also is an essential resource when designing inclusive aquatics spaces.

Providing Inclusive Training and Facilities It is critical for agencies and park and recreation leadership to advocate for keeping pools funded and accessible to communities most in need.

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M-NCPPC recently opened the Southern Regional Aquatic Wellness Center in Fort Washington, Maryland (tinyurl.com/yckn7ncs), providing the community with the department’s first warm water

Water Safety Resources pool that includes removable parallel bars, accessible pool ramps and lifts, water wheelchairs and walkers, and an adult-size changing table located within a universal (non-gender specific or family-labeled) changing room. To accommodate patrons with sound sensitivity needs, the pool area was painted using sound reduction paint. This facility was specifically designed with accessibility in mind, making this new aquatic wellness center a vital aquatics resource for individuals of varying abilities.

A new partnership the department recently launched is supporting efforts by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) to recruit and prepare diverse candidates for their swim-skill entrance requirements.

Our department will provide swim lessons to USCG recruits and the USCG will provide funding to cover the costs of instruction for the recruit’s swim lessons and for lifeguarding instructors, so the department can offer free lifeguard training and certification for our patrons. Offering free training and certification to employment candidates has been extremely helpful to recruit new lifeguards, especially as we emerge from the pandemic and are still addressing staffing shortages throughout the county.

From the operational perspective, providing well-trained and certified lifeguards and pool operators is another strategy employed by our agency. We place significant emphasis on monthly in-service training, annual aquatics team and pool operator refresher training, and adherence to local, state and national pool operating codes.

Ensuring patron safety is a top priority and doing our best to provide the safest swimming pool experience is expected. Swimming pools are

expensive to operate. However, publicly operated swimming pools are an essential community resource necessary for reducing fatal and nonfatal drowning. Communities need access to swimming pools for learnto-swim programs, water fitness and employment opportunities.

Most aquatics professionals operating pools, including myself, started as lifeguards in their communities. Public swimming pools are natural hubs for producing the next generation of aquatics and park and recreation professionals.

Swimming pools are an essential resource for all communities. It’s critical for agencies and park and recreation leadership to advocate for keeping pools funded and accessible to communities most in need. You do not have to operate pools to become a water safety advocate and to promote water safety in your community. We welcome all allies in this mission to end drowning nationwide.

Prioritizing Diversity and Inclusivity in Employment As communities nationwide increase in their levels of diversity, it is equally important for park and recreation departments to also embrace inclusivity and diversity within the employment process — and not just from the seasonal or part-time perspective, but also within the management and leadership structure.

In Prince George’s County, we are proud of the diversity we have been able to recruit, employ, develop and promote as leaders within the aquatics industry. For instance, our deputy director of recreation and leisure services represents the Hispanic/ Latino community. I am the division chief for aquatics and athletic facilities and an African American woman. Our aquatics specialists, regional managers and facility man-

There are several organizations offering resources and information to support community pool operations, learn-to-swim and water safety programs: • American Red Cross Water Safety Resources: tinyurl. com/4dbzmxj5 • Association of Aquatic Professionals R.E.S.P.E.C.T. the Water Drowning Prevention Program (materials offered in English and Spanish): tinyurl. com/y9wwjjs5 • Diversity in Aquatics (several special interest councils to include Adapted Aquatics): tinyurl.com/2p9yxmce • Swim Angelfish Adaptive Swim Education and Training Resources: tinyurl.com/ mr4dp9t3 • National Drowning Prevention Alliance: tinyurl.com/4crmw54a • Council for the Model Aquatic Health Code: tinyurl.com/ bdzevhpw • Pool Safely: tinyurl.com/2s3m knhk

agers also are direct reflections of the community we serve to include supervisors who are African American, Caucasian, Asian, Hispanic/ Latino, as well as individuals from the LGBTQ+ community.

As you explore ways to improve inclusivity and equitable access to your aquatics programs and services, remember: Improving diversity in aquatics is not just an urban issue, it is a national issue. As park and recreation professionals, we have the power and resources to improve drowning statistics — one lap at a time!

To hear Eggleston Stewart speak more about National Water Safety Month, tune in to the May bonus episode of Open Space Radio at nrpa.org/ May2022BonusEpisode.

Tara Eggleston Stewart, CPRE, M.S., is the Division Chief for Aquatics and Athletic Facilities with The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s (M-NCPPC) Department of Parks and Recreation.

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OPERATIONS Embracing a Change in Field Maintenance Practices

By Rick Perruzzi, CSFM, CPRP

A

s most of us know, we live in a different world than we did two years ago. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic impacts the decisions we make on a daily basis, from sending our kids to school to when and if it’s safe to go out to restaurants, holiday gatherings or just getting together with a small group indoors. However, one space that has allowed people to gather has been park facilities, whether passive spaces or active spaces, such as athletic fields. More people utilizing the outdoors has put some strain on our facilities, thus creating more emphasis on preventive maintenance, especially on athletic fields. Now, more than ever, sports field managers are being asked to do more with less. Additionally, there is push from elected officials and community members to be more environmentally responsible when it comes to pesticide and fertilizer use.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SOUTH PORTLAND DEPARTMENT OF PARKS, RECREATION AND WATERFRONT

City of South Portland, Maine, enacted a synthetic pesticide and synthetic fertilizer ban in 2016 and 2020, respectively, which eliminated the use of these products on public and private land with few exceptions. The emphasis from elected officials and concerned citizens was on aggressive cultural practices (e.g., aeration, overseeding, topdressing, organic fertilizers, etc.).

We as a department had to reassess

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South Portland Department of Parks, Recreation and Waterfront reassessed how it maintained its 150-acre recreation facility.

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how we maintained our 150-acre recreation facility, which includes 13 irrigated, heavily used athletic fields.

As the sports field manager, I had two options: I could be angry and frustrated by thinking that elected officials and community members were telling a professional sports field manager how to do their job, or I could get on board and seize an opportunity to grow our operation. At the time, we had limited equipment

in respect to size and efficiency, especially when it came to the turnaround time needed to properly apply cultural practices to an athletic field. I saw this as an opportunity to promote the right equipment needed, in order to utilize cultural practices on a more frequent basis to eliminate the use of pesticides. Regarding fertilizer usage, we switched to liquid organic fertilizer and introduced micronutrient packages. We secured funding of roughly $250,000 for capital equipment and an increase in our budget line items, such as seed, topdressing materials and micronutrients. With the addition of the new equipment, our turnaround time to aerate, remove cores, seed and topdress a 70,000-square-foot field went from three days to one or one-and-a-half days, depending on conditions. The acquisition of new equipment and resources enabled our crew of three to be more efficient due to the drop-in turnaround time. The application of liquid fertilizers and micronutrients added some time to the operation, but that is a trade-off that we can work with.

Given the concern around the country about green space management, at some point, it will be a topic in your community. My advice is to get ahead of it and be proactive. Even if you do not agree with all of it, if you show enthusiasm to embrace the challenge, you may be pleasantly surprised by the receptiveness of elected officials to get you and your department the equipment and resources you need to be successful. In the end, they want it to work.

Rick Perruzzi, CSFM, CPRP, is Recreation Manager of Outdoor Athletic Facilities at South Portland Department of Parks, Recreation and Waterfront (eperruzzi@southportland.org).

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(ISSN 0031-2215) is published monthly by the National Recreation and Park Association, 22377 Belmont Ridge Rd., Ashburn, VA 20148, a service organization supported by membership dues and voluntary contributions.

Copyright ©2022 by the National Recreation and Park Association. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Opinions expressed in signed articles are those of the writers and not necessarily those of NRPA. Issued to members at the annual subscription price of $30, included in dues. Subscription: $46 a year in the U.S.; $56 elsewhere. Single copy price: $7. Library rate: $58 a year in the U.S.; $68 elsewhere. Periodical postage paid at Ashburn, Virginia, and at additional mailing offices. Editorial and advertising offices at 22377 Belmont Ridge Rd., Ashburn, VA 20148. 703.858.0784. Postmaster, send address changes to Parks & Recreation, 22377 Belmont Ridge Rd., Ashburn, VA 20148.

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Park Bench

PHOTO COURTESY OF RHONDA K. LOVETT

Providing More Than Education As a parks naturalist for St. Johns County (Florida) Parks and Recreation, people tell me I have the best job in the world, and I am inclined to agree.

Luckily for me, my job takes place in Northeast Florida, where the weather is ideal for year-round recreation, and we have access to incredible natural resources. Wherever you go, St. Johns County offers an abundance of nature’s beauty to explore.

Since starting my career with the park and recreation agency six years ago, we have seen tremendous growth of residents and visitors. For the past two years, we have been facing challenges brought on by a worldwide pandemic. However, these challenges have offered great opportunities for us to be innovative with programming. I started my career establishing kayak trips and beach walks and have built a programming portfolio full of diverse outdoor recreational opportunities, such as nature photography, fishing, astronomy and naturalist classes.

Not only has the diversity of programs expanded, but also my idea of an effective program has evolved. When I began interpretive programming, I found a program successful if people walked away knowing more than when the program started.

Now, I find my experience as a naturalist to be more fulfilling when participants walk away feeling connected to the experience they just had. I have heard in the past that “it’s not what you tell people, it’s how you make them feel.” I have found that providing a safe space for people to connect to the natural world, as well as each other, can be far more powerful than learning about the flora and fauna that surround them.

Our department is proud to have recently expanded our reach with a partnership with Department of Veterans Affairs for military-exclusive outdoor recreation opportunities. These programs are educational, motivating, and, most importantly, provide veterans from all walks of life an opportunity to bond with each other and nature.

Participants often say that our programs are peaceful, calm and therapeutic. Truthfully, to me, these words have become more important than hearing a program was educational. Why are the spaces and pauses in programs so important? Because while people may forget exactly how many teeth an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin has (it’s 72 to 104, by the way), they won’t forget how they felt when they were watching the dolphins swim by while enjoying the sunset in beautiful St. Johns County.

– Kelly Ussia, Parks Naturalist for St. Johns County Parks and Recreation

For Kelly Ussia, parks naturalist for St. Johns County (Florida) Parks and Recreation, her idea of an effective program has evolved from one that simply teaches to one that leaves participants feeling connected to the experience.

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PARKS & RECREATION MAY 2022 ◆ CYBER THREAT ◆ THE 411 ON EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS ◆ NATIONAL WATER SAFETY MONTH