City of Riverside, CA
07/12/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/12/2024 19:08
Summer Safety & Fun
Published: 07/12/2024
BE
PREPARED!
Whether they're swimming in a backyard swimming pool, at a community center, or at the beach, here's some helpful tips for actively watching your child in and around water.
Know the pools your child visits and carefully determine if they are properly protected.
Keep rescue equipment near the pool.
Empty wading pools of all water after use.
Empty buckets of all contents after use and store upside down.
Complete CPR and First Aid training
Assign an adult "Water Watcher" while your child swims.
ABC'sOF WATER SAFETY
A
Adult Supervision
Use eye-to-eye contact at all times, around all bodies of water.
B
Barriers
Block all openings and doorways that lead to pool areas.
C
Classes
Enroll children in swimming lessons at appropriate ages.
FACTS
DID YOU KNOW?
- Backyard pools and spas account for over 80% of all drowning or near-drowning incidents.
- Over one million backyard pools in California lack safety features because they were built before the Swimming Pool Safety Act of 1998. Is your child in or around one of these?
- Children also drown in buckets, toilets, fish ponds, canals, ponds, lakes and rivers.
- It takes less than one inch of water to cover the mouth and nose of an infant and/or toddler.
LAYERS OF PROTECTION FOR POOLS
- FENCING: Enclosing your pool or spa with four-sided, non-climbable fencing is the best protection.
- FENCE GATES: All gates to the pool or spa should be self-closing and self-latching.
- DOOR & WINDOW ALARMS: All windows and doors that lead to the pool area should have alarms to alert adults when opened.
- POOL COVERS & NETS: If a pool cover or net is used, make sure it has been federally approved as a safety device.
Web sites for water & pool safety
https://www.ruhealth.org/rivcowatersafety
RivCo Water Safety Coalition
Riverside Fire Department
951.826.5321
Riverside Parks Recreation & Community Services
951.826.2000
Riverside County Injury Prevention Services
1.800.774.7237 • 951.358.7171
First 5 Riverside
951.248.0079
www.riversidecounty.redcross.org
American Red Cross in Riverside County
1.888.831.0031
American Heart Association
1.800.242.8721
Safe Kids Worldwide
202.662.0600
Consumer Product Safety Commission
1.800.638.2772