Spring families looking to cool off in the water this weekend can pick up a free life jacket, courtesy of the Spring Fire Department and Bass Pro Shops.

The two organizations will distribute youth and adult personal flotation devices in a variety of sizes starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, at Bass Pro Shops, 1771 Spring Stuebner. Jackets will be handed out while supplies last.

The giveaway comes as drowning remains the leading cause of unintentional death among children ages 1 to 4 nationally, with rates climbing since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to CNN citing the American Academy of Pediatrics. In 2024, 1,075 children and adolescents younger than 20 died from unintentional drowning in the United States.

Spring Fire framed the event around the brutal August heat. "If the water is how you stay cool in this sweltering heat, what's your safety plan?" the department wrote on X on Thursday, Aug. 13.


The American Academy of Pediatrics says drowning prevention requires multiple layers of protection, including close supervision, swimming skills, pool barriers and properly fitted, U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets, especially for children in natural bodies of water.

Part of a bigger push

The life jacket giveaway fits into a broader stretch of community outreach for Spring Fire, which serves roughly 168,000 residents across 62 square miles in North Harris County.

The department welcomed 10 new firefighters in Recruit Class 26-1, who began cadet orientation in 2026. And on Saturday, Oct. 3, Spring Fire will host its first Fire Prevention Month Safety Fest at the newly opened W.W. "Cotton" Weaver Training Center on Lexington Road, as we reported Aug. 8. The event will serve as the public grand opening of the roughly 63-acre campus where firefighters train.

Spring Fire also offers free or low-cost CPR/AED, first aid and basic life support classes each month. Schedules are posted at springfd.org/events.

Upcoming Spring community events

  • Saturday, Aug. 15: Free life jacket giveaway, 10 a.m., Bass Pro Shops, 1771 Spring Stuebner (while supplies last)
  • Saturday, Oct. 3: Fire Prevention Month Safety Fest and public grand opening of the W.W. "Cotton" Weaver Training Center, Lexington Road