Arcadia Fire Department Wants You to Be Cool in the Pool

Take the necessary steps to prevent your child from drowning. – Courtesy photo

Every year, nearly 300 children under the age of five drown in residential swimming pools. The Arcadia Fire Department has several tips to help you and your families avoid tragedy. AFD suggests:

• Completely fence the pool and install self-closing and self-latching gates. Position the latches out of reach of children. The fence should be a minimum of five-feet in height with no holes or gaps that would allow the passage of a sphere greater than four inches in diameter. There should be no more than a two-inch space between the ground and the bottom of the fence.
• If the house doors access the pool area, install door alarms that produce an audible sound if the door is opened.
• Never consider children “drown-proof” because they have had swimming lessons.
• Keep toys away from the pool area to avoid accidental falls in the pool.
• Keep a telephone at poolside to avoid leaving the children unattended while answering the phone.
• Do not use floatation devices as a substitute for supervision.
• During social gatherings, appoint a “designated watcher” while children are in the pool area.
• Have lifesaving equipment in the immediate pool area in the event a rescue is necessary.
• Do not place chairs, tables or other objects near pool fences. Children can climb on these items to gain access to the pool.
• Take a CPR class from the Arcadia Chapter of the American Red Cross. For additional information, visit redcross.org or call (626) 447-2193.

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