Swimming lessions

Earilier this month I posted a pool safety video produced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Here is part 6. It focuses the importance of getting proper training. I believe some parents forget that swimming lessons are more than just learning how to do the breast stoke. The Red Cross's swimming curriculum places as much weight on what to do in a water emergency as it does having fun.



Remember, proper safety makes the pool fun all summer long.

Until Next Time
Mike
Chicago Pool Service

A scary fact for pool owners: Drowning is the second leading cause of death from unintentional injuries among children ages one to 14. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has the following tips for staying safe:

• Never leave a child alone in or near a pool, even for a moment. Children should be actively supervised by an adult who knows CPR at all times.
• Practice “touch supervision” with children younger than five years old; this means the adult is within an arm’s length of the child at all times.
• If planning a pool party, then consider hiring a certified lifeguard to supervise. It’s required by law that a pool is separated from the house with a fence at least four feet high.
• Use gates that self-close and self-latch, with latches higher than a child’s reach. Most young children who drown in pools wander out of the house and fall into the pool.
• Keep rescue equipment (such as a shepherd’s hook or life preserver) and a telephone by the pool. The use of air-filled “swimming aids” as a substitute for approved life vests isn’t recommended. Remove all toys from the pool after use so children aren’t tempted to reach for them.
• Remember to always secure a pool when not in use so children can’t get back into it.

While these are good tips, it is also important that you have the proper training. Learn CPR and keep your certification up to date. If you are on your own, you are going to be the first line of defense if something goes wrong. Being a strong swimmer and setting a good example for your children is also important. If they see you practicing good habits they will follow your lead. If you need additional information, the CPSC has created some videos with grade advice:



Chicago Pool Service

Boy hailed as hero in drowning rescues

I subscribe to a number of Google News alerts related to swimming pools. It almost always results in a string on depressing news. Decades after private swimming pools began appearing in the backyards of suburban homes, people still do not seem to take pool safety seriously. From ABC News in San Jose CA:

Firefighters in San Jose honored an 8-and-a-half year old boy that helped save a drowning little girl in a swimming pool. Wednesday's celebration serves as an important reminder about pool safety. Ishaan is being praised for his actions at a pool in the apartment complex where he lives. A small girl was riding on her grandfather's shoulders in the shallow end. Something happened; the girl and her grandfather fell into the pool and began drowning. The San Jose fire department thanked Ishaan Singh for rescuing a 3-year-old friend who was drowning by presenting him with a plaque and a ride in a fire engine.

Ishaan Singh's family provided him with the proper skills and training to recognize that something had gone wrong.

Chicago Pool Service