With triple digits creeping into our weather forecasts last week, homeowners are already thinking about ways to cool off for the next six months…
It just so happens that May is National Water Safety Month. We can’t print enough reminders about watching kids around water. Fountain Hills experienced a child drowning a couple of years ago, and we need to remain vigilant so that a similar tragedy does not occur.
National Water Safety Month is the result of a partner-ship between the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals (APSP), the American Red Cross the National Recreation & Park Association (NRPA) and the World Waterpark Association (WWA), and companies and governments are joining in the cause.
National Water Safety Month is a public education and awareness campaign with the mission to bring “safe, en-joyable aquatic activities to the American public, from home pools and spas to waterparks and resorts, to public swimming and water recreation facilities,” as stated on the official website.
A large part of this mission is to educate individuals and organizations on how to make aquatic activities safer for swimmers, parents, children, lifeguards and anyone else who participates. According to the Center for Disease Control, about 10 people die every day from unintentional drowning unrelated to boating, so learning how to improve the safety around water is an important cause. In Arizona, the most typical water activity is enjoying time in a backyard pool.
There are a number of steps that can improve the safety of a backyard pool, but if you ask any firefighter or other public safety official, the number one component that’s mandatory is “vigilance.” Someone should be des-ignated to watch children at all times in pools – no phones, no distractions, no snacks, no nothing.
Let’s enjoy our backyard pools, but let’s remain vigilant and not allow any more drowning tragedies to occur.
