ORLANDO — Ellis Aquatic Innovations (EAI), a member of the Ellis & Associates (E&A) family of aquatic safety and risk management consulting firms, today shared insight into the first public data set to include pivotal statistics derived from hundreds of thousands of hard data points collected by the proprietary Ellis Aquatic Vigilance System (EAVS). EAVS, an integrated system that incorporates cameras with video analytics, communication alerts, two-way radio communications, data storage and highly trained lifeguard leadership, has been in operated for seven years in partnership with more than 30 aquatic facilities in the US.

Almost 300,000 data points, aggregated and analyzed from 10,341 real-life, video-recorded incidents over the past 15 months, have provided unprecedented, factual insight into what truly impacts swimmer safety. Previous research, based on data collected by human input, has provided what the industry thought was happening in and around aquatic environments but could not be factually verified. EAVS allows life-saving personnel to see, and analyze, what is happening above and below the water, on deck and around the perimeter. Computer recording, analysis, and alerts improve response time and track performance generating hard data that operators can use to improve overall performance.

Data garnered from EAVS video records includes but is not limited to:

• Type of rescue (active on the surface, active submerged, passive on the surface, passive submerged, suspected spinal injury, non-aquatic)
• Signs and symptoms exhibited by a guest in distress (summersault, bobbing, flailing, motionlessness)
• Proximate cause(s) – contributing factors to the onset of distress such as wave action, water depth, medical incident, horseplay
• Lifeguard / EAVS Operator recognition time
• Lifeguard hesitation time
• Lifeguard response time

“I founded Ellis & Associates in 1983 out of a desire to make the aquatic environment safer – to save lives,” said Jeff Ellis, Founder and CEO of Ellis & Associates. “As a safety industry, we cannot rest,” added Ellis. “We saw what the combination of cameras and artificial intelligence could do and knew we could apply that technology in real-time to improve safety in aquatic environments. The ability to video record aquatic incidents allows us to produce the first-ever collection of hard data, based not on self-reporting by the individuals involved, but on real-time, recorded evidence. EAVS is providing an ever-growing collection of hard, actionable data that can save lives and improve business performance.”

Early partners in pioneering EAVS include Great Wolf Lodge, which employs EAVS at each aquatic facility across the country; Roaring Springs Waterpark, the first outdoor water park to install EAVS; Fort Wayne Community Schools, the first school district to employ EAVS; Gaylord Resorts and Six Flags Entertainment.

According to the Great Wolf Lodge corporate aquatics leadership team:

“Since installing EAVS at our lodges, we have been most impressed by how it has enhanced our safety and lifeguarding programs. With the ability to conduct real-time corporate audits, we have seen a 29% improvement in internal audits and a 25% improvement in our ride operator audits. It may sound fake, but we’ve decreased our attraction downtime by 978%. As our brand continues to grow, we plan to build our new lodges with EAVS integrated from the beginning and look forward to continuing to find use cases and improvement”

In reports from Roaring Springs Waterpark:
“The Ellis Aquatic Vigilance System has been transformative at Roaring Springs Waterpark,” said Roaring Springs Waterpark CEO Patrick Morandi. “EAVS doesn’t replace lifeguards; it allows them to perform with a higher level of confidence and safety for our guests. The end-to-end system provides a comprehensive video record to review incidents, conduct remote audits and enhance our training programs. We are thrilled to be the first outdoor water park to install EAVS and contribute to the future of aquatic safety.”

EAVS® utilizes high definition “smart” cameras strategically placed to monitor movement on land, on the water’s surface, and under water to help identify concerns before they become a problem. The cameras capture live video and incorporate analytics that “learn” to identify patterns and behaviors specific to each client facility. Working in conjunction with a specially trained control room operator this unique aptitude creates a situation that alerts lifeguards to a potential issue, even issues that are out of the active sight of the lifeguards on duty.

“Improving incident response time based on what we are learning through EAVS is one of the most visible benefits of this data,” said Ellis Aquatic Innovations Chief Operating Officer, Benjamin Strong. “Seeing and analyzing exactly what happens before, during and after an incident has led to enhanced swimmer surveillance, improved training and increased positive outcomes. EAVS facilities have also achieved measurable improvement in guest experience, operational efficiency, reduced claims and litigation, enhanced loss prevention efforts and a greater confidence among front-line personnel.”

To learn more about EAVS® and EAI’s other cutting-edge technology solutions, contact us at 800-742-8720 or visit us at www.EAIsafety.com

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