Morey's Piers waterparks recognized for highest safety standards

Ho-hum.

Another week and yet another prestigious honor for Morey's Piers.

It's easy to take what we have for granted, isn't it?

After all, we've come to expect nothing less than excellence from our friends at the "3rd Best Seaside Amusement Park in the World" (even though we know it's really #1).

But, hold on here, because the award that was announced this morning is worthy of much more than a passing mention in a blog post.

So, please help us spread the word on this one.

And a huge CONGRATS to Morey's Piers for earning the highest safety rating achievable for its two waterparks. Way to go!

Here's the official release...

Morey's Piers Beachfront Waterparks Recognized for Highest Safety Standards

WILDWOOD — The 200-plus lifeguards who make up the aquatic safety staff at Morey’s Piers Beachfront Waterparks in Wildwood are making quite a splash these days. The international aquatic safety consulting firm, Ellis and Associates, has awarded the prestigious “Platinum International Aquatic Safety Award” to Morey’s Piers’ two Beachfront Waterparks.

The “Platinum National Aquatic Safety Award” is the highest safety rating achievable and signifies the waterparks at Morey’s Piers are among the safest in the world. In 2010, only the top 10 percent of the 400 eligible waterparks worldwide received this distinction. Morey’s Piers Beachfront Waterparks earned this distinction by consistently exceeding safety criteria in independent evaluations and unannounced safety audits.

“Guest safety is a cornerstone of our operation and it has a profound effect on how we operate and do business,” offers George Rohman, operations manager. “At Morey’s Piers Beachfront Waterparks, we continually strive to offer an exceptionally safe, clean and friendly recreational experience for our guests. Our entire team should be very proud of achieving this award, and offering one of the safest recreational environments in the industry.”

Ellis & Associates, Inc. is the leading aquatic safety-consulting firm to the resort and waterpark industry and provides lifeguard training and safety consulting for a majority of the waterparks in the United States and across the globe. Throughout the operating season, Ellis & Associates sends representatives to perform comprehensive safety evaluations for each client facility and provides each facility with a safety rating, with “platinum” being the highest.

Evaluations, or “audits”, are unannounced and evaluation criteria includes a Lifeguard Evaluation Section, where the lifeguards are videotaped guarding without prior knowledge, a Simulated Emergency Section, where a group of guards are selected to perform during a simulated emergency, and an Administrative Section.

Denise Beckson, Director of Waterpark Operations, uses the independent audit evaluations to determine what operational areas are in need of improvement. “Because the audits are random and unannounced, our management team gets an accurate snapshot on how well our lifeguards will respond in the event of an actual emergency,” comments Beckson. “In a realistic simulation, you have the ability to step back and evaluate how well your team is responding, make corrections, and focus future training accordingly,” she added.

Each season, Morey’s Piers hires and trains over 200 lifeguards from all over the world. Each lifeguard goes through a week of intensive training prior to his or her first day of work. After successfully passing the program, each lifeguard is then required to attend a minimum of one hour of in-service training each week to maintain his or her skills.

For information regarding Morey’s Piers, please call 609-522-3900 or visit the website at www.moreyspiers.com.