It’s summertime—a season for fun and exploration. And for a lot of young people and their parents, a trip to a national park, local public park, amusement park or recreation center is right at the top of the to-do list. Whether that takes the form of a road trip to another state or a day trip to an amusement park, maximizing your fun time means taking all proper precautions.
With the increase in foot traffic experienced by public parks and recreation centers in the summer comes an unfortunate increased risk in theft and vandalism. Staying aware of your surroundings means doing your part to enhance not only your own safety, but also the safety and integrity of the park itself. Our shared goal should be safeguarding these spaces for future enjoyment by all.
Preparing to Visit Recreation Centers and Public Parks
Gather the crew before setting out for your visit and review the park’s rules and regulations. For kids, take the time to make sure they understand all the essential do’s and don’ts in advance, so you can all focus on enjoying the park and its activities once you’re there.
Here are some key precautions to take while visiting a park or recreation center:
Keep all belongings safely on your person or locked in a locker or other secure storage area.
Familiarize yourself with the location of the security office and/or security stations on the property.
Take advantage of restrooms and/or sanitation stations to wash and sanitize your hands throughout your visit, especially after touching surfaces.
Vandalism in Public Parks and Recreation Centers
Vandalism is a disappointing and unfortunate reality for public parks and recreation centers, especially during peak summer months. Theft, damage and graffiti tend to take place when people aren’t paying close attention, especially when security is sparse or off-duty. Items that aren’t secured in place will often go missing—and that includes everything from statues, games and even supplies and appliances, including restroom dryers. The good news with Excel hand dryers is that they are properly secured on restroom walls, helping to prevent incidents of theft.
Benefits of Excel Dryers to Public Parks and Recreation Centers
Excel dryers can be found in parks, recreation centers and other public places all around the country. Parks administrators have come to rely on Excel dryers’ key attributes, which include:
Efficiency and speed: XLERATOR® hand dryers reduce dry times to as little as eight seconds*, allowing for rapid turnover and avoiding traffic jams at the restroom wash stations. They are designed for maximum energy efficiency—so much so that they can help facilities realize up to a 88% reduction in global warming potential versus paper towels.
Hygiene and health: Excel’s touchless restroom dryers reduce touchpoints, resulting in lower transmission of surface-borne pathogens. XLERATOR dryers with Electrostatic HEPA (eHEPA®) Filtration eliminate 99.999% of viruses and 99.97% of potentially present bacteria at 0.3 microns from the airstream. And eliminating paper towel waste removes another potential source of bacterial or viral transmission.
Cleanliness: Visitors are very conscious of the cleanliness of park facilities, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. If a visitor perceives a restroom as “dirty,” it is likely to impact his or her impression of the park in general. Excel hand dryers eliminate paper towel waste on the floor, in overflowing trash bins, or clogging sinks or toilets. Customized dryers are also available—Excel can custom-print artwork, logos or informational text on any hand dryer, adding a touch of design to facilities and providing the opportunity to provide information about hygiene and cleanliness.
ADA compliance: Excel developed and offers an ADA-compliant recess kit for their hand dryers. They also developed the ThinAir® Hand Dryer specifically to have a wall-mounted solution that meets the 4-inch protrusion standard mandated by the ADA. Excel hand dryers help park facilities meet their goals for inclusion and accessibility.
Durability: Excel hand dryers are built to last. Unlike many bathroom fixtures like automatic soap dispensers and toilet seats, Excel dryers rarely need replacement or repair, and are easy to service when necessary. They bolt securely to the wall, helping decrease the likelihood of damage due to vandalism.
Environmental impact: Excel hand dryers are the ultimate green hand drying solution. Excel was the first hand dryer manufacturer to publish verified, third-part Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), proving the environmental benefits of switching from paper towels to Excel hand dryers. Excel Dryer’s high-speed, energy-efficient hand dryers qualify for the most LEED v4 credits of any hand dryer on the market, helping facilities save trees and water, cut down on CO2 emissions and conserve landfill space.
Economic advantages: Independent research has shown that Excel hand dryers provide 95% cost savings per 1,000 uses versus paper towels. 100% recycled content paper towels incur an overall cost of approximately $23 per 1,000 uses versus Excel hand dryers, which come in at a cost of $0.50 per 1,000 uses. That is significant savings, much appreciated by budget-conscious park administrators!
Enjoy Your Parks!
Keeping our public parks and recreation centers safe and clean is the best way to make sure they are there for everyone’s enjoyment for many years to come. Above all, they exist to add fun, beauty and community to our lives, and they should be enjoyed to the maximum. Happy National Park and Recreation Month!
* Dry time and energy use testing performed by SGS International on standard XLERATOR Hand Dryer with 0.8” nozzle to 0.25g or less of residual moisture, pursuant to the UL Environment Global Product Category Rules (PCR) for Hand Dryers.
