Crime & Safety

Fire Department Urges Memorial Day Pool Safety

Three children younger than five drowned in the last few weeks in Riverside County, according to a fire department official.

Three children younger than five drowned in Riverside County, and since January, 15 drowned or nearly drowned, said Cheri Patterson, a spokesperson for the Riverside County Fire Department.

These were senseless deaths, because pool safety is so simple, said Chief John Hawkings of the fire department.

“Drowning is tragic and 100 percent preventable,” he said.  “There are many resources available to parents and caretakers about swimming pool safety and other types of water recreation precautions.” 

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He offered a few steps to take to practice good fire safety.

Never leave a child alone in or near the pool, not even for a moment, and when watching children in or near a pool, refrain from phone use and reading.

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Don’t let the number of children reach beyond your control. Ensure there are enough adults to supervise the number of children swimming.

Make sure that pool rescue equipment, such as shepherd’s hooks and life preservers, is in working order. Make sure that there is a phone nearby in case of and emergency.

Remove all toys from the pool and pool area after each use to avoid a child’s temptation to reach for them, and remember, floating aids, such as “floaties” are nota substitute for approved life vests and can even give a false sense of security.

Install a fence at least five feet high around the sides of the pool that separate the house from the play area. Use gates that self-close and self-latch. Ensure that the latch is higher than the child can reach.

Any door that leads to the pool should be kept locked and equipped with an alarm system that will sound when perimeter doors are opened.

Floating or infra-red pool alarms with a remote alarm sounding in the home can alert you to a child falling in the water.

CPR and knowledge of rescue training techniques are the final layer of protection in the event of an accident and should be the standard for anyone watching or supervising children by the pool.


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