Though home swimming pools and spas offer years of fun and activity for families, they also can be a significant threat to young children. The vast majority of children who drown in home pools were not expected to be in or around the pool. Water safety awareness and education will save lives. With so many in, on or near the water during the summer, it is important to follow the basics of water safety, maintain constant supervision, know how to respond to an aquatic emergency and when to call 911.
Drowning is 100% Preventable
Last year, there were 57 submersion incidents in Riverside County, 17 were drowning fatalities and 4 of these were under the age of 5.
The Corona Fire Department would like to increase awareness on drowning prevention and water safety, so families, especially those with children through age 5, can enjoy the summer safely. Learn what you (parents/caregivers/community members) can do?
A = Adult Supervision
- Assign an adult to supervise children in and around the swimming pool and spa.
This is needed whether there is one parent or guardian present or numerous adults present or numerous adults present such as during a family event or party.
- Maintain constant eye-to eye supervision with children in and around the swimming pool and spa.
- Remove children from the swimming pool and spa area for any distraction such as a telephone call, use of restroom, etc.
- Issue the adult supervisor an item such as a whistle, bracelet, etc. to reinforce which adult is in charge of the safety of the children.
- Floaties or other inflatable flotation devices are not life jackets and should never be substituted for adult supervision.
- Maintain a clear view (no trees, bushes or other obstacles) from the home to the swimming pool and spa.
- Ensure any adult responsible for the children know the emergency services telephone number and also your location address in the event emergency personnel are needed to be called to the scene.
B = Barriers
- Have a fence enclosure that isolates your swimming pool and spa from the home, play areas, front and side yards and the neighbor’s yard.
- Make sure all gates in the isolation fence are self-closing and self-latching.
- Multiple layers of barriers isolating the pool and spa from children should be installed. In addition to an isolation fence, one or more of the following safety features can provide the additional protection necessary:
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- Approved swimming pool and spa alarm
- Exit alarms on doors providing access to the swimming pool and spa
- Keep all doors and windows leading to the swimming pool and spa area locked
- Doors providing access to the swimming pool and spa equipped to be self-closing and self-latching with a release mechanism high enough to be out of the reach of a child
- The man-door from the garage should be self-closing and self-latching with a release mechanism high enough to be out of the reach of a child
- Perimeter yard fence provided with a self-closing and self-latching gate
- All chairs, tables, large toys or other objects that would allow a child to climb up to reach the gate latch or enable the child to climb over the isolation fence should be removed or kept inside the fenced area.
C = Classes
- Learn how to perform Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).
- Enroll your child in swimming lessons.
- Call 211 or visit First5Safety.com for more information or classes in the area.
- View a Drowning Prevention Video on how to keep children safe from drowning in and around pools or spa.
Good article. Should have run in June which could easily b called national drowning month. This city is very weak in drowning prevention and could do so much more. It is up to every parent to make sure everyone in the family is able to swim well. John Leonard, the Executive Director of the American Swimming Coaches Association says no one is really safe until he can swim 100 laps in a pool. Get safe, then practice what you learn until it’s as easy to swim as it is to walk. After forty years of coaching and teaching I can tell you it’s all of our responsibility to ask our school districts and city governments to make aquatic excellence a priority. For more information on how contact me or USA Swimming, who is represented in this endeavor by Janet Evans. I still remember a team here in town being charged four times the rate for water when they taught water safety than when they held swim team practices. The City has improved but could use your support and evaluation. Call the mayor and ask what percentage of children can swim. If we all work together we can make that number close to 100% and reduce the fatalities Drowning has been the umber one cause of death in Riverside county in five year olds for decades) to zero. I can tell you that’s our goal with our seven and three year olds and I believe it’s the goal of every citizen of our community.