May is Home Pool Safety Month!

To help support a very worthy effort we want to remind people what makes a safe backyard pool.

1. A fence around the pool that is at least 4 feet high!
2. A gate that closes automatically whenever someone enters or exits the pool.
3. A latch that locks automatically and is out of reach of small children.
4. Any doors that open onto the pool area has an alarm, buzzer, doorbell chime, anything that makes the homeowner aware that someone has entered the pool area.
5. All non-swimmers wear a lifejacket, not floaties. Remember, anything you inflate can deflate.
6. Take all toys out of the pool when you have finished swimming. Children see floating toys as an attractive nuisance and fall in when trying to reach them.
7. Whenever kids are in the pool there is an adult watcher who is not talking, texting or playing on a cell phone.
8. If you own a pool know CPR, if you don’t own a pool know CPR.
9. Remind children of the #1 swimming pool rule – do not enter the pool unless an adult is present!
10. Enroll your child in swim lessons.

Drowning is the leading cause of non-medical deaths among preschoolers. An average year sees 3,000 drowning in the United States. For every drowning there are 3 near drownings that are serious enough that an emergency room trip is warranted. Follow the above rules to keep your children safe and happy around the water.