SWIMMING POOLS AND CHILD SAFETY

It’s summer!  If you own a pool, child safety must be your first concern.  Children love water and do not have the experience or wisdom to respect it as much as they love to play in it.  Too often, firefighters hear people say, “it was just a few seconds.”  Unfortunately, just a few seconds is all it takes for a child to drown. 

Most children that die from drowning, do so in their own backyard swimming pool, but others drown in buckets, bathtubs, toilets, dog water bowls and ponds.  Small children are top-heavy, and they don’t have the upper body strength to lift themselves out of one of these dangerous situations.  Even if a child survives the incident, they are often left with permanent brain damage.

Drowning and near drowning can be prevented.  Anyone involved with the supervision of children needs to be aware of the dangers associated with any body of water.

• Know where your children are at all times
• Use an approved barrier to separate the pool from the house
• Never allow children to be alone near a pool or any water source
• Have life-saving devices near the pool, such as a pole/hook, or floatation device
• Keep large objects such as tables, chairs, toys and ladders away from pool fences
• Post the 9-1-1 number on the telephone
• Do not allow children to play around the pool and store all toys outside the pool area
• If you leave the pool area, take the children with you
• Always have a designated “child watcher”
• Learn to swim
• If you own or live near a pool and your child is missing, CHECK THE POOL FIRST!  Seconds matter and this precaution has saved many lives.

Supervision and planning for child safety near pools will keep your family safe and sound as you cool off this summer.

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