April Pools Day 2011

Drowning Prevention

Safe Kids San Diego Prevention Activities: Past, Present and Future

Drowning is still a leading cause of death in children. Safe Kids San Diego has worked diligently in trying to increase public awareness regarding this preventable issue. In the last two years, Safe Kids San Diego assisted Safe Kids Worldwide, in legislation efforts to increase the safety standards of pools and spas throughout the Nation. The Pool and Spa Safety Act was passed and signed into Law in December 2007. That Law requires that anti-entrapment filters be put on pool and spas, and creates an incentive program for States to provide for laws requiring barriers such as fences, covers and alarms.

On a local level, Safe Kids San Diego has produced three public service announcements, which educate the community regarding the risk of drowning in bathtubs, kiddie pools and buckets. The message in all of the public service announcements is to always watch your children in or around the water. Safe Kids San Diego, in collaboration with Rady Children's Hospital and EPIC Medics also successfully re-designed and produced 3000 Water Watcher tags. The Water Watcher program encourages a designated adult to actively supervise the children while in the pool, and refrain from socializing and/or doing any other activities during that designated time.

Safe Kids San Diego has been quite successful, along with its partners, Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego Life Guards, and the Independent Pool Spa Service Association, in obtaining television airtime. This airtime has allowed Safe Kids San Diego to reach out and educate the San Diego community regarding the deviating reality that drowning happens quickly and silently.

Safe Kids San Diego's Drowning Prevention Task Force will continue to push forward with its advocacy and public awareness efforts. With Adult Supervision, Barriers, and Classes such as CPR and swim lessons; Drowning is Preventable.

Prevention Activities You Can Do

• Never leave a child unsupervised, even for a minute, around water. Brain damage can occur in as little as three minutes.
• Install a minimum 5 foot, non-climbable fence to prevent children from wandering into your pool area. Also, install a barrier fence between your house and the pool to protect your children and other child visitors.
• Keep outdoor furniture away from the fence so that it can not be used to climb on to gain access to the pool.
• Check the neighborhood to determine if any pools and spas are unfenced. Children often drown in other people's pools and spas.
• Make sure pool gates are self-locking and self-latching. Gates should be installed so that they must be pulled to open rather than pushed since toddlers instinctively push on objects to gain access.
• If your child is missing, be sure to check the pool area first and go to the edge and look down.
• Keep a phone by the pool at all times.