WATER SAFETY Every family’s plan should include the ABC’s of Water Safety: A: Adult supervision is the first step. Whenever children have access to water, choose a water watcher. The Water Watcher has eye to eye contact with children when they have access to water. The Water Watcher doesn’t cook, answer the phone, or do yard work while on duty. After 15 Minutes, another adult can take over, so supervision is always fresh. B: Barriers, like swimming pool fences, are essential to keep children safe. Most drownings occur when children are not expected to be near the pool. Drownings can even occur in neighbor’s pools, or in the middle of the night when parents are asleep. Putting a fence around a pool is like putting your child in a seatbelt when they travel in the car. Both can save lives. Many attractive styles of fencing are available today. C: Classes, like CPR and swimming lessons for children at the appropriate age, can help families prepare in case of an emergency. CPR can make the difference between life and death. Keep your CPR skills sharp By taking CPR classes at least every two years. CHILDPROOFING FENCE: ü Make sure that you have a four-sided fence surrounding your pool. The fence should be at least five feet high, with vertical bars less than four inches apart, and less than two inches from the ground. ü Open your gate and let go. Does it self-close and latch? If not, repair it and maintain it, so that it does. ü Install a childproof lock on the gate, out of your child’s reach. Never allow children to climb on the pool fence. ü Check the fence regularly for rusting, leaning, and warping. Check the ground beneath the fence to be sure children and pets can’t dig underneath the fence. POOL AREA ü Trim shrubs and trees regularly, so that children cannot use them to climb the pool fence. ü Keep toys outside the pool fence enclosure when not in use, so children are not tempted to get in. ü Move patio equipment away from fence, so children cannot climb the fence. ü Store rescue equipment near the pool, such as shepherd’s hook or safety ring. Keep a telephone near the pool whenever you swim, so you will have it nearby in case of an emergency. ü Lock chemicals in a child proof area, out of children’s reach. HOT TUBS: ü Use a child-proof, locking cover which sits snugly on the hot tub. Cover the hot tub at WHEN NOT IN USE. Do not allow children to play on, or near, or around the hot tub, unless an adult is supervising. HOME: ü Make sure that all doors leading to the pool are self-closing and latching. ü Secure windows and doggie doors, so children cannot get to the pool. If you have an alarm set the system to ”chime” to alert you when a door is open to the pool area. POOL SAFETY
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. Drowning is the leading cause of death in
Most of these children drown in their own backyard swimming pool, but others drown in buckets, bathtubs, toilets, dog water bowls, canals 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 the child survives the incident, they are often left with permanent brain damage.
Drowning and near drowning can be prevented, and YOU CAN HELP! Anyone involved with the supervision of children needs to be aware of the dangers associated with any body of water. Below are some tips to prevent these needless tragedies.
· 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 any body of water · Have a life-saving device near the pool , such as a pole/hook, flotation device · Keep large objects such as tables, chairs, toys, and ladders away from the pool fence · Always have a phone near the pool · Store all toys outside the pool fence area · IF YOU LEAVE THE POOL AREA, TAKE THE CHILDREN WITH YOU · Have a “designated child watcher” · Learn to swim · Never swim alone, or under the influence of alcohol or medications
Prevention through Education
For more information, contact the Rincon Valley Fire Department at (520) 647-3760