NDPW 2025: Why life jackets are safer than PFDs

A personal flotation device, or PFD, will keep you afloat, yes. But if you’re unconscious, it won’t turn your face up in the water – as a life jacket is designed to do.

That’s a vital difference, and another key message of National Drowning Prevention Week in Essex County and beyond. In our latest NDPW video, the County’s Emergency Measures Coordinator, Dan Metcalfe, explains why life jackets are the much safer choice.