The City of Chicago announced on May 15 that beaches will open for the summer season on Friday, May 22, and issued a series of water and boating safety reminders for residents and visitors. The Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC), along with the Chicago Fire Department, Police Department, and Park District, are urging the public to follow safety rules at city beaches, lakes, rivers, and pools.
Officials say these guidelines are important as warmer weather brings more people to local waterways. They encourage everyone to report suspicious activity by notifying onsite security or calling 9-1-1. “If You See Something, Say Something is a national anti-terrorism public awareness campaign that emphasizes the importance of reporting suspicious activity to law enforcement authorities,” according to the announcement.
To help residents stay informed about emergencies or changing conditions this summer, OEMC recommends downloading its app for access to preparedness tips, emergency alerts, weather information, and event updates. Beachgoers are reminded by the Park District to check for “No Swimming Allowed” signs before entering the water and only swim when lifeguards are present between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.
The city outlined several key safety practices: wear life jackets suitable for your activity; avoid swimming alone or at night; swim near lifeguards; learn CPR; be aware of rip currents; heed warnings about lakefront path closures during storms; never operate boats under the influence; learn how to escape rip currents by relaxing in the water rather than fighting against them; use pole markers along lakefront paths as location references in emergencies.
The Safe Chicago program has installed over 2,500 bleeding control kits across more than 800 locations including parks, tourist destinations like Navy Pier and Lincoln Park Zoo, sports arenas, tour boats, city buildings—and encourages their use until first responders arrive. The city has also partnered with Marvel Comics’ Ironheart character to promote emergency preparedness among all age groups.
These efforts build on OEMC’s broader mission which includes community education initiatives such as volunteer training programs and severe weather preparedness according to the official website. OEMC coordinates incident management across major events throughout Chicago while maintaining an all-hazard alert system using a single audible tone for notifications during emergencies. Its services include managing both emergency (9-1-1) response operations as well as non-emergency support (3-1-1), traffic management solutions—and collaborating with federal partners like Homeland Security—to strengthen overall city services.
