Summer Heat and Water Safety Tips:
As the weather heats up, so does the chance of heat and water related emergencies and tragedies. Deputies from the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station already responded to two swimming pool related emergencies this past weekend and one of them, unfortunately, resulted in a tragic outcome.
Deputies from the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station would like to remind all residents to take a few extra precautions and follow some simple safety guidelines that will greatly reduce the possibility of heat or water related emergencies.
Several common emergencies occur every year which are directly related to the change in weather and participation in outdoor recreational activities. Just some of these emergencies can include heat related illness, heat exhaustion or death when children or pets are left in hot cars, and water related accidents or drowning.
According to the United States Consumer product Safety Commission, an estimated 260 children under five years of age drown each year in residential swimming pools and spas. Nationally, drowning is the fourth leading cause of death for children under age five.
Drowning happens quickly and silently, often without any splashing or screaming. The key to preventing tragedies is to have several layers of protection. This includes placing barriers around the pool to prevent access, using pool alarms, closely supervising children (even if they know how to swim), and being prepared in the event of an emergency. Remember, drowning doesn't only occur when a person cannot swim, every year children are physically incapacitated due to injuries sustained during a swimming pool accident. Never assume the gate is always secure at a community pool. Often times these gates are inadvertently or intentionally left open or the locking/closing mechanism is not working properly.
See Press Conference On Tuesday July 8th at Santa Clarita's Aquatic Center
Follow these other safety tips and guidelines to help prevent a water related emergency:
- The adult left in charge of watching children in or around a swimming pool should be a proficient swimmer, know CPR, basic first aid, and how to use rescue equipment.
- If your pool is equipped with a diving board, do not allow swimmers to engage in contests to dive the farthest out in the pool. The rise between the deep end and the shallow end of the pool bottom is often steep.
- The storage of pool chemicals should be in a secure, ventilated area, away from the reach of children.
- If your pool cleaning or maintenance is done by an contracted pool cleaner, make sure that the gate is secure after they leave.
- Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water is to learn to swim--this includes adults and children. The American Red Cross has swimming courses for people of any age and swimming ability. To enroll in a course to learn or improve your ability to swim, contact your local Red Cross chapter. In the Santa Clarita Valley the Red Cross can be reached at (661) 259-1805 or www.redcrossla.org. The City of Santa Clarita also offers low cost swimming and water safety classes. For more information call (661) 250-3700 or visit www.santa-clarita.com/seasons.
- Never leave a child unobserved around water. Your eyes must be on the child at all times. Adult supervision is recommended.
- Install a phone by the pool or keep a cordless phone nearby so that you can call 9-1-1 in an emergency.
- Learn CPR and basic first aid, insist that babysitters, grandparents, and others who care for your child also know.
- Post CPR instructions and 9-1-1 or your local emergency number in the pool area.
- Enclose the pool completely with a self-locking, self-closing fence with vertical bars. Openings in the fence should be no more than four inches wide. The house should not be included as a part of the barrier.
- The gate should be constructed so that it is self-latching and self-closing.
- Never leave furniture near the fence that would enable a child to climb over the fence.
- Always keep basic lifesaving equipment by the pool and know how to use it. Pole, rope, and personal flotation devices (PFDs) are recommended.
- Keep toys away from the pool when it is not in use. Toys can attract young children into the pool.
- Pool covers should always be completely removed prior to pool use.
- If a child is missing, check the pool first. Go to the edge of the pool and scan the entire pool, bottom, and surface, as well as the surrounding pool area.
- Never use or leave excessive rafts or other toys in the pool that can obstruct the observers view or the swimmers rise to the surface.
- Maintain constant supervision. Watch children around any water environment (pool, stream, lake, tub, toilet, bucket of water), no matter what skills your child has acquired and no matter how shallow the water. For younger children, practice "Reach Supervision" by staying within an arm's length reach.
- Don't rely on substitutes. The use of flotation devices and inflatable toys cannot replace parental supervision. Such devices could suddenly shift position, lose air, or slip out from underneath, leaving the child in a dangerous situation. Children have even removed the flotation devices in some past incidents.
Remember, heat related emergencies can occur very quickly. California Law prohibits leaving children unattended in a vehicle. It is never safe to leave a child or pet alone in a parked car. The trapped air and heat creates an immediate hazard. Remember, infants and young children are especially vulnerable to heat related emergencies.
Follow these simple safety guidelines, as outlined by the American Red Cross, to help prevent a heat related related emergency:
- Never leave your child alone in a vehicle.
- Make sure all the occupants leave the vehicle when unloading.
- Take all children, including sleeping infants, with you.
- Lock your vehicle doors and trunks.
- Keep keys out of children's reach.
- Never let children play in or around cars (not even in the garage).
- Parents, grand parents, babysitters, etc., should always communicate with one and other to ensure they know who has the child and who got the child out of the car seat. Never assume the other has the child.
Many more American Red Cross Health and Safety tips can be found at the following link: Water Safety Tips
