Safety Stressed For Campers, Tubers, RVers

Here is a valuable and informative event for all those who enjoy Arizona’s outdoors: campers, tubers, swimmers, RVers, anglers, and boaters.

Help prevent forest fires and avoidable open-water drownings by joining Smokey Bear on Saturday, May 12, at the 8th Annual “Fire & Water” Safety Expo at Salt River Tubing headquarters in northeast Mesa, 9 a.m. – noon.   

The event is co-sponsored by Tonto National Forest and Salt River Tubing & Recreation.  The event is open to the public and provides live entertainment, prize giveaways, and educational exhibits.

Salt River Tubing officials will be offering a $4 tube-rental discount to the first 500 participants at the “Fire & Water” Safety Expo. Exhibitor visitation cards will be distributed to tubers and guests, and upon completion of the exhibit tour, tubers will be given a tube-rental discount valid on the day of the event.

In the past five years, Arizona’s national forests and other public lands have experienced the worst fire seasons in history, and the incident rate of drowning in private swimming pools and open water areas has also increased. 

The event offers the public an educational venue in efforts to increase awareness of proper fire-prevention ethics and drowning-prevention guidelines on public lands. Exhibitors and sponsors will provide information on how to be safe in swimming pools and open waters such as rivers and lakes. 

Tonto National Forest specialists will target fire prevention and safety in public lands campground areas.

Invited exhibitors will include Tonto National Forest, Arizona Fish & Game, American Red Cross, Mesa Kiwanis’ Drowning Prevention specialists, AIREVAC Services, Salt River Project and Maricopa County Sheriff’s Lake Patrol and Medical Rescue, and more.

For additional information about Salt River Tubing & Recreation, please visit the www.saltrivertubing.com or call (480) 984-3305. Operating hours are 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. daily, weather and water flow permitting. 

The cost of tube rental is $14 per person/tube, including inner-tube rental and shuttle-bus service. Children must be eight years or older and 4 feet tall for tubing and shuttle bus service.  

Glass containers are prohibited by law in the Lower Salt River Recreational Area and ice chests will be inspected. Glass containers will be confiscated.