Rescue Belt Program

The "triggers" of the prevention program by serious professional co-operation were the extremely high number of water accidents in the summer of 2017 and the conclusions drawn from their investigations. It is noticeable that accidents are often caused by lack of information, lack of self-knowledge, unpreparedness or human irresponsibility, and various communication tools can play an important role in effective prevention. These communicating methods, tools were developed, and implemented by the Rescue Belt Working Group established in the framework of the Public Security Board of the Balaton Development Council.

Created with the support of the Balaton Development Council and the Ministry of Innovation and Technological Development, the SAVING BELT PROGRAM is a unified, coherent informing and apprising system promoting water safety and public security. The aim of the prevention program set up by the Balaton Water Police Department is to raise awareness and recognition of safe water use, and the longterm goal is to reduce and prevent water accidents in Lake Balaton, and to encourage people to bath responsibly.

In addition, the program has begun the construction of a single, easy-to-understand positioning system. The system is planned to be implemented on all beaches of Lake Balaton, which in case of any trouble - accident, malaise - will significantly help and speed up the work of rescue management and rescue workers.

In addition, as part of the program, in 2018 and 2019, the BVRK and the Water Rescue Services of Hungary delivered a number of prevention lectures, which also draw attention to correct bathing rules and the dangers of water for the children in the region who enjoy water sports and bathers. Since the start of the project, 133 lectures have taught 7,310 students the importance of prevention.

	Press conference, August 17, 2019, László Horváth (BVRK), Péter Jamrik (BFT), Sándor Bagyó (VMSZ)		Lifebuoy Program Flyers		Water access (stairs) sign in Keszthely

	Rental table		A board placed in the bed of Lake Balaton at Révfülöp

Within the LIFE-SAVING PROGRAM, boards have been placed to mark the water access points () on all participating beaches, with the following information:

On the coast side of the boards:

• Emergency code (number line at top of table)
• Storm warning aid
• Balaton bed draw
• Description of first aid station on the beach
• Emergency number 112
• Bathing advices

On the water side of the boards:

• Emergency Code (a number on the top of the board that is identical to the code on the other side of the board)
• Bathing legislation

With the help of the emergency code the position of the emergency caller can easily be identified as the first four digits of the code represent the postal code of the particular town, the fifth to sixth digits indicate the beach code and the last two digits indicate the number of the beach stairs (or other access point) . (e.g.: First stairs of Keszthely Városi Beach: 8360 01 01)

Since the emergency number on the board is 112, this type of numbering is also intended to assist the work of colleagues behind this number.

The main goal is to make the rescuers arrive to those in need more easy and quick by announcing the emergency code (the code of the board near the trouble) during the emergency call.

In the year of 2019, the program was implemented on the biggest beaches of five spa areas - Siófok, Balatonfüred, Keszthely, Balatonfenyves, Révfülöp.