Week 222

Positive post Sunday, May 23, 2021- Week 222. 

If you have a pool and/or children who play around and in water, I encourage you to read this entire post, it might save a life.

According to the National Safety Council’s (NSC) Safety Observance Calendar, the month of May is a very busy month.  There are over 30 safety related observances noted on NSC’s calendar for just the month of May.  A few that stand out to me are National Water Safety Month, National Bike Month and Mental Health Awareness Month.  For those safety advocates like me, here is the link to the calendar: Safety Observance Calendar – National Safety Council (nsc.org).

This week, I’ll focus on National Water Safety Month and next week on both National Bike Month and Mental Health Awareness Month and share how they are related.  

As the owner of a pool and proud Papa of 11 grandchildren, water safety, and specifically pool safety, is very important to me.  That being said, let me tell you a little story that may encourage those of you with pools to take action.  

In 2003, a family with 5 children living in the HOT Inland Empire in Southern California, decided to put a pool in their backyard for their children.  It was a very exciting time for the family with everyone anxious to swim (except for the mother).  Being very safety conscious, the parents made sure that all pool safety requirements were followed when the pool was installed.  This included self-shutting gates leading to the backyard and alarms on the two sliding glass doors leading to the backyard.  At that time, there was not a requirement to install a fence around the pool even though there was direct access from the two sliding glass doors.

Fast forward to 2019.  All the kids have grown and the homeowners now have 11 grandchildren, many often coming over to swim and play on the trampoline in the backyard by the pool.  Concerned for the safety of her children, one of the daughters, whose children are in the picture below, had been bugging her parents to install a fence around the pool.  You know, one of those annoying and expensive fences that make it hard to enjoy the pool.

The daughter knew that the fence wasn’t required when the pool was installed, but she also knew that every day 10 children drown in America (roughly 3,400 a year) and it only takes 30 seconds for a child to drown.  This is the #1 cause of unintentional deaths of children from ages 1to 4 (#2 for children 1 to 14).   

Just pause for a moment, look at those beautiful children and think how tragically this story could end.  September 27, 2019 will be a day this family will never forget.  With God’s grace, this wasn’t the day a child drowned (at least not at this home).  It was the day the homeowners installed a security fence around their pool.  You know, one of those annoying and expensive fences that make it hard to enjoy the pool, and also save lives.  

This story has a happy ending, but many don’t.  For those that have not already figured this out, I’m the homeowner.  I’m grateful to the Lord for protecting all those who have swam in our pool and ask for his blessing on all those families who have not been so fortunate.  I’m also thankful that my daughter Alison’s love for my grandchildren is so strong that she reminded me, a passionate safety advocate, to take action.  If you have a pool, don’t be lucky, act now and make sure your pool is secure.  This story could have had a much different outcome.  

Here is a website with helpful water safety tips: http://www.nationalwatersafetymonth.org/.  Among other important water safety information on this website, you’ll find the 7 Safety Tips form Pool Safely listed below.  These may seem simple and obvious, but we lose way too many children every year due to adults not following these tips!

1. Never leave a child unattended in or near water.

2. Teach children how to swim.

3. Teach children to stay away from drains.

4. Ensure all pools and spas – both in your backyard and any public pool you may visit – have compliant drain covers.

5. Install proper barriers, covers and alarms on and around your pool and spa.

6. Know how to perform CPR on children and adults.

7. Take the Pledge!

As we approach summer, what steps will you take to make sure your children are safe around water?

If you have a pool, is it fenced off and secured?  The lives of your family and friends are at stake!

What is the pool fence in your life? You know, that area where you know you have a safety concern but haven’t acted.  ACT!