Water Safety Tips:

  • Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water is to learn to swim. Always swim with a buddy; never swim alone. The American Red Cross has swimming courses for people of any age and swimming ability. To enroll in a swim course, contact your local Red Cross chapter.

  • Swim in areas supervised by a lifeguard.

  • Read and obey all rules and posted signs.

  • Children or inexperienced swimmers should take precautions, such as wearing a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal floatation device (PFD) when around the water.

  • Watch out for the dangerous “too’s” – too tired, too cold, too far from safety, too much sun, too much strenuous activity.

  • Set water safety rules for the whole family based on swimming abilities (for example, inexperienced swimmers should stay in water less than chest deep).

  • Be knowledgeable of the water environment you are in and its potential hazards, such as deep and shallow areas, currents, depth charges, obstructions and where the entry and exit points are located. The more informed you are, the more aware you will be of hazards and safe practices.

  • Pay attention to local weather conditions and forecasts. Stop swimming at the first indication of bad weather.

  • Use a feet-first entry when entering the water.

  • Enter headfirst only when the area is clearly marked for diving and has no obstructions.

  • Do not mix alcohol with swimming, diving or boating. Alcohol impairs your judgment, balance, and coordination, affects your swimming and diving skills, and reduces your body's ability to stay warm.

  • Know how to prevent, recognize, and respond to emergencies.

 

Pools Are Not the Only Drowning Danger at Home for Kids:

 

Click the Screen to Watch Informational Video

 

 

How to Prevent a Drowning:

  • Never leave children unattended

  • Always make sure a responsible adult is present

  • Make sure pools are secured, never pop open pool gates

  • Keep items that can be used for climbing (tables, chairs, ladders, firewood) away from fences

  • Don’t allow children to play in pool areas, keep toys out of that area

  • Mount flotation devices designed for lifesaving near the pool. (Not float type toys)

  • Have a phone near the pool area

  • Post the 9-1-1 emergency phone number on your phones

 Never leave children unattended around places where water can pose a threat:

  • 5-gallon buckets

  • Bathtubs

  • Toilets

  • Ponds

  • Canals

  • ANY AREA OF OPEN WATER!

 

Pool Fencing:

1. Enclose pool fencing with a permanent non-climbable fence that is 5’ in height.
2. All gates must be self closing, self latching and open outward from the pool.
3. All latches must be 4 ½’ above the ground or inaccessible from the outside by small children
4. Any opening in a fence or wall must be less then 4 1/2" wide. Small children are able to maneuver through small openings.

 

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