Summer is Here and it is Time for Swimming Pool Alarm Safety

Ok, it might not be summer, but kids and animals will gravitate to a pool to play around it, or purposely jump in on a warmer day. Do you have a pool, or do you take your family to pools often? Are you ready in case of an emergency?

In California, drowning is the number one cause of accidental death for children 1-4 years of age.  But, do you really need these statistics to convince you to do everything you can to prevent this from happening to your child, grandchild, or pet?

You can never be too safety-minded when a swimming pool is involved.   A true story that happened to one of my co-workers drives this point home.

My co-worker and his wife both had careers and sought out experienced child care for their toddler. They chose a caregiver that worked from her home. She was licensed by the state, had been in business for a number of years with a spotless record, and had numerous references. This caregiver loved children and really enjoyed daycare.

There was a swimming pool in the backyard that was fenced and locked. Although there was no cover or pool alarm, it was obvious that no child was going to be able to easily get to the swimming pool from outside.

One day the caregiver received a phone call that took about five minutes and caused a distraction from the children. That five minutes gave one of the toddlers a chance to go through an unlocked back room sliding door. That door leads directly to the swimming pool the child fell in. By the time the toddler was missed, it was too late 

There was a tragic end to this story: Not only was a child’s life lost, but the marriage and life of my co-worker and the caregiver were changed forever.

In my 40 years as a California Police Officer, I responded to a number of swimming pool drownings in all months of the year and there were always safety thoughts that could have made the difference. Summer may or may not be here, but it is always time for swimming pool alarm safety.

Here are some safety tips:

Learn CPR!  It is not hard to learn and you could save a life. It works, I have used it.

Teach your kids how to swim. Check with your local public recreation department for classes.

Always have sober adult supervision when there are children swimming or have access to the pool area. Kids of all ages take chances and forget to watch over a younger sibling swimming in the same pool as they are.

As an example: My 8-year-old grandson saw a stunt on TV he should not have been watching. He then voiced a desire to do a backflip from the roof of his home. He said he had practiced it on the school playground and already had found a way to climb onto the roof.

Have a phone with you at the pool to have in case of an emergency and to reduce the urge to go into the house if the phone rings.

Have an approved life-saving device available to throw into the pool.

Have your pool fenced in with a locked gate and add a pool cover when the pool is not in use.

Never open a pool cover partway.

Add a pool alarm for safety. They can alert you of waves in the pool if a child or pet were to fall in.

  They are simple to use ours will alert you via a receiver in your home. 

Have a fun and safe swimming season, no matter what month of the year it is.