Keeping Kids Safe this Summer

May is National Water Safety Month. Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children ages 1-4 in Arizona.  This is a heartbreaking statistic that can be changed through simple steps toward pool safety. Parents, grandparents, home owners, pool owners, neighbors – everyone in our Valley communities can work towards keeping our kids safe around water.

One of the most important steps is teaching your kids to swim and be safe around water. We highly recommend Infant Swimming Resource (ISR), an amazing organization with the mission to see the day when Not One More Child Drowns. The ISR program teaches children as young as infants how to save themselves in water. You can watch an amazing video here.  Our children have gone through the ISR program and we think everyone should enroll their kids in these lessons.

Here is ISR’s list of Important Keys to Water Safety:

1. Effective Supervision

The most critical line of defense is adult supervision. No level of aquatic skill can replace active supervision. If your child is ever missing, look in the water first.

2. Pool Fences

Install a permanent 4-sided fence with self-locking gates. Ensure that the pool fence is at least 3-5 feet from the pool edge.

3. Alarms

Make sure all doors and windows leading to the pool are locked and alarmed.

4. Survival Swimming Lessons

A moment’s inattention does not have to cost a child his life. ISR’s Self-Rescue™ training is an added layer of protection, teaching your child water survival skills in a completely safe environment.

5. CPR

If an emergency happens, it is essential parents and families are prepared. Learn to perform CPR on children and adults and remember to update those skills regularly.

*http://www.infantswim.com/assets/docs/FamilyAquaticSafetyList.pdf

We would add a couple of notes to this list.  It is the law in Arizona that your pool be barricaded but this can be your property fence.  As your independent insurance agent, we strongly recommend a pool fence in addition to your backyard fence.  Motorized pool covers that are secured on all sides, or mesh covers that support the weight of a person are also an option but they do not replace fences and self locking and latching doors.

Also, in this season of pool parties and BBQs it is especially important to be vigilant around water.  Children can drown even with lots of people around.  Appoint one person to be in charge of watching the pool or consider hiring a teenager to be a lifeguard for your party.

Finally, as we discussed last month, having a personal umbrella insurance policy is a very good idea for homeowners with pools.  Some carriers will not insure pools with diving boards or slides. If you have questions about homeowners’ insurance and pools, just give us a call.

Vigilance and diligence in water safety will prevent tragedies and avoid liabilities.  So watch your kids around water, teach them to swim and be safe and put the right safety barriers in place.

Happy Swimming