Port Orange, FL – (May 2, 2025) In response to a concerning rise in pediatric drownings across East Central Florida, Halifax Health took part in a comprehensive drowning simulation today in partnership with Volusia County Beach Safety, Volusia County Emergency Medical Services, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, Volusia County Emergency Management, Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, and the cities of Ponce Inlet, Daytona Beach Shores, and Port Orange.
The simulation began at Edwin W. Peck Sr. Park in Ponce Inlet, where Beach Safety responders initiated the scenario with the simulated rescue of a pediatric drowning victim. The patient was then transferred to Volusia County EMS for on-scene medical stabilization. EMS transported the patient to Halifax Health – Medical Center of Port Orange, where hospital-based providers further stabilized the child before airlifting them to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando.
This multi-agency drill was designed to enhance coordination, response times, and clinical care across the full continuum of emergency services—from the shoreline to advanced pediatric critical care—ensuring a seamless and life-saving protocol for real-world drowning emergencies.
The exercise is part of a larger regional response to the spike in pediatric drownings, particularly as warmer months draw more families to area beaches and pools. Halifax Health is also a proud partner in the newly launched Project Lifeline campaign—an awareness and prevention initiative aimed at reducing childhood drowning incidents through education, outreach, and safety equipment distribution.
“We’re not just reacting—we’re preparing and educating,” said Rachel Hamlett, Nurse Manager at Halifax Health. “Simulations like this give first responders and hospital providers the coordination practice they need. It’s a full-circle effort to save lives.”
Halifax Health thanks all participating agencies for their commitment to pediatric safety and looks forward to ongoing collaboration to protect the youngest members of our community.
About Halifax Health
Halifax Health is the leading healthcare provider for Volusia and Flagler counties, offering a comprehensive range of services through a network that includes a tertiary hospital, two community hospitals, an urgent care network, psychiatric services, and a specialized cancer treatment center with multiple outreach locations. As the area’s only provider of a Level II Trauma Center, Center for Transplant Services, and a Pediatric Emergency Department staffed 24/7 by board-certified pediatricians, Halifax Health is also home to the region's longest-standing Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center, Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and Child and Adolescent Behavioral Services. In addition, Halifax Health has collaborated with UF Health to bring over fourteen specialties to the area.
Recognized for excellence and innovation, Halifax Health consistently receives top ratings, including a 5 STAR rating in the CMS Quality of Patient Care, multiple accreditations from CARF International for inpatient rehabilitation, and the prestigious Novalis Certification of Excellence for its cancer treatment center. The organization has also achieved a 3 Star Rating from the Society of Thoracic Surgery for Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery, is designated as a Comprehensive Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence, and has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a Best Hospital, with high performance in heart failure and knee and hip replacement. Halifax Health Hospice is repeatedly honored as the Top Rated and Most Recommended Hospice in Central Florida, underscoring its commitment to providing the highest level of care. With a legacy of excellence and community service since 1928, Halifax Health continues to set the standard for quality and compassionate care in the region.
Keep up with the latest news, events, and announcements from our team at Halifax Health and our community.
Halifax Health will ensure that those we serve are treated with courtesy and respect in a safe, compassionate, and professional environment.
Halifax Health will provide exemplary medical, emotional, and spiritual care for each of our patients and their families.
To be the community healthcare leader through exceptional talent and superior patient-centered service delivered in a financially sustainable manner.
To develop talented teams dedicated to providing competent, accountable patient-centered healthcare in a financially sustainable manner.
At Halifax Health, we cultivate a positive workplace where each team member is valued, respected, and has an opportunity for personal and professional growth.
Walk in. Walk out. Feel better.
