In The Nick of Time

Recently Marisela Montes, of POOL GUARD OF PUERTO RICO, was doing a presentation on the benefits of having a pool fence on the pool deck for a homeowner in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Approximately half way through the presentation on the pool deck, the homeowners' small son wandered around behind his parents during the discussion of whether they should have a pool net or a pool safety fence installed and the three year old fell into the pool. Without hesitation, Marisela grabbed the child and pulled him out of the water. The shaken parents immediately asked how quickly could the installation of a pool fence occur. The next day the pool fence was installed, along with a self-closing gate. Another pool protected by POOL GUARD OF PUERTO RICO, another child who is now safe and two very relieved parents.

Marisela Montes
Pool Guard of Puerto Rico

Pool Safety - Up Close & Personal

While installing a pool fence at a house where the owners were in the process of moving in I had the misfortune of experiencing first hand the dangers of pools and children. Setting up to drill the holes I had marked out on the deck surface I observed a child approximately 5 years of age playing in the yard close to the patio. I thought nothing of him being out in the yard as long as he was a fair distance from my work area and I figured his parents were keeping an eye on him. As I was preparing the work area I heard a splash behind me. The child had moved quickly to the pool area and apparently lost his balance playing with a toy near the pool or tried reaching the toy which had fallen into the water. The child clearly could not swim and was in the deep end of the pool, fighting to keep his head above water. There was panic all over his face. I had laid down on the surface next to the water and reached as far as I could as quickly as I could. I could see he was still within my reach and I did not have to jump in. His face had submerged a few times below the surface before I grabbed him and pulled him towards me. He had taken no water into his lungs, but was a very scared little boy. The parents had seen none of this as they were busy unpacking the home they had just moved into. Needless to say, they were very upset when they answered the door and I handed them their drenched child. They learned a lesson that day and the piece of mind could not have come quicker for them when the pool fence was completed a few hours later.

Parents should always schedule the installation of their pool fence as close to their moving date as possible. As this example shows, moving day can be hectic and children are curious about the new swimming pool. Let's not give them a chance to approach the pool without a pool fence already in place.

Pool Guard of Las Vegas
Steven Powell

Pool Fences and Handicapped Children

It's natural for people to associate a swimming pool safety fence with a baby or toddler and keeping them safe around the backyard swimming pool; however, a pool fence can keep others safe as well.

Over the years we've installed many pool fences for people with handicapped children. While those children may have been older than toddler age, they are also as vulnerable, if not more so, to an accident. Parents of handicapped children have recognized the need to protect their pool from their children accidentally moving their wheelchair too close to the edge of the pool or a freak accident that could occur. A pool fence can and does protect those who can't protect themselves. Parents of handicapped children have told us time and time again how relieved they are to know that their children are protected when around the pool area. As you can see, a pool fence can save lives in so many different ways.

A Paramedic's View of Pool Fences

As a paramedic/firefighter here in the Phoenix area, I'm a first responder to child drownings. Having a pool fence is an essential part of your backyard if you have a swimming pool. A common misconception is that a child will always be watched. Having met people who had shared this belief AFTER their has drowned is etched in my soul. Installing a swimming pool safety fence is a small price to pay for a child's safety. Listen and learn from someone who has been out on these calls - a pool fence is a necessary tool to protect your child against drownings and near drownings. All such accidents can be prevented by simply installing a removable pool fence and creating a barrier between a small child and a swimming pool.

Tim Maloney
Pool Guard of Phoenix

How Pool Fences Can Prevent Accidents....

Even when a child knows how to swim!

Recently a five year old boy who knew how to swim fell into his backyard swimming pool. When he fell in he was wearing his clothing and shoes and he panicked and was not able to swim. Luckily, the little boy's father was nearby and pulled him out of the pool and administered mouth-to-mouth resucitation.

Pool Guard installed the pool fence around the pool on the very day the little boy was released from the hospital. I have always told customers to keep the pool fence in place because children can panic; however, I had never thought about clothing and shoes making it harder for a small child to swim to safety. The parents of this five year old have no intention of ever taking the pool fence down.

Pool Guard of South Florida
Greg Young

The A,B,C & D's of Pool Safety

This is a great way to remember the importance of safety around the family swimming pool and to keep small children safe:

*A - Adult Supervision: It is important to remember that there is no substitute for adult supervision when small children have access to a swimming pool. Always appoint one adult as the "designated supervisor".

*B - Barriers: These include pool fences and self-closing gates. By installing a pool fence and a reliable self-closing walk-thru gate you are insuring that you have created a complete barrier between a small child and the pool.

*C - Classes: Swimming classes for the kids and CPR for Mom and Dad. Every child should know how to swim. While you may install a pool fence around your swimming pool to protect your little ones, you may take your children to a home where there is a swimming pool, but no pool fence. It is vital that children learn how to swim at as early an age as possible. Every parent should know CPR.

*D - Devices: These include life jackets and keeping a telephone outside by the pool at all times.

Pool Guard of Las Vegas
Steven Powell

Pool Fence Safety Case Study

We recently installed a fence for a lady who lives in Boynton Beach, Florida. She has six grandchildren ranging in age from two years old to eight years old. She babysits for them often, but was tremendously worried about pool safety and that one of the children would accidentally fall into the swimming pool.

She did some research and found that the most cost effective and most efficient way to solve her problem was to have a removable pool safety fence installed. She got a few estimates and chose Pool Guard because of our full lifetime warranty and because she loved the safety features of the Pool Guard self-closing gate. She also felt Pool Guard had a lot of options when it came to colors and color combinations. She thanked Pool Guard for doing such a great job explaining the pool fence system at the time of the estimate, showing up for the installation when they said they would and for the excellent installation of the pool fence.

Submitted by Ray Pagano
POOL GUARD OF PALM BEACH

Parental Lessons That Can Save Lives

Several weeks ago, we went through a much-too-close brush with the most terrifying nightmare of a parent - the loss of a child. Through luck and divine grace, we still have our two-year-old, Christopher (Topher), alive, well and happy. We came through this scare with a new appreciation for Topher, for our family and for the great service that our local emergency medical technicians and hospital personnel provide every day. We learned a few parental lessons the hard way, and wanted to share them in hopes that others in the community could learn from our experience.

Several weeks ago, our family was at a friend's house for a pool party in Bartlett. It was getting towards dinner, and there were about seven children in the pool, plus me. We ordered pizza, and the pizza deliveryman showed up at the edge of the fence to the pool. Topher had been playing around the steps coming into the pool. He had a life jacket on earlier in the day, but after we took him to go to the bathroom, he refused to put it back on (Parental lesson #1: Do not let your children dictate water safety. It may be hard to stand firm, but don’t be afraid to do so when it is in your child’s best interest).

Topher was playing on the steps and walking out on an underwater ledge that ran along the edge of the pool. I was in the pool playing catch with one of my other boys, and my wife and two other parents had been keeping a close eye on the pool and the children in it. When the pizza showed up, all of the adults that were not in the pool went to get money, and then all tried to be the one to pay for the pizza. (Parental lesson #2: Always have someone designated to watch the pool while young children are playing in it. Even a brief distraction is very dangerous). When they came back with the pizza, Nate (our nine-year-old) went to get out of the pool. He yelled, "Oh my God, Topher is under the water!" Nate pulled Topher up, and the adults helped pull Topher out of the pool. He wasn't breathing and his face was turning blue. My wife was screaming, "Call 911," and then, "Oh my God, my baby, my baby!" I got out of the pool and ran to him. Luckily, we had been talking about CPR about an hour before, and had talked through the ABCs (clear the airway, give breath, do compressions for circulation).

Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. I pumped on Topher's stomach three times, pushing out what seemed like a gallon of water. Then I gave him a breath, chest compressions, another breath. After two or three rounds of my rough attempt at CPR, he started to suck in air. We turned him on his side and he threw up about a gallon more water, and then started to cry. He was back! (Parental lesson #3: Be trained in CPR, and if that training is not up to date (I did my training over eight years ago) take the time to attend a refresher course. You can sign up for a CPR class through your local fire or police department, hospital, or the American Heart Association). We had expert, comforting and attentive service from the EMT team, the emergency room staff at Alexian Brothers Hospital in Elk Grove Village, and later at St. Alexius in Hoffman Estates. Topher was awake and conversational by the time we got to the emergency room.

He stayed at the hospital overnight for observation, and was transferred by the great Air Angels team to St. Alexius to have the benefit of the Pediatrics ICU. He is still bragging about his helicopter ride. All of Topher’s tests came back fine: blood oxygen level and a clean chest x-ray (no water in his lungs). When the doctor came around the next morning, Topher was playing with trucks on the floor. The doctor said, "Is this the patient? He doesn't need to be in the hospital!" He proceeded to tell us how he normally finds a nearly drowned toddler in an ICU hospital bed, tethered to machines, intubated, non-responsive or worse. We realize that many parents are not as lucky as we were and our hearts and prayers go out to each of those parents – we realize how quickly events can change and affect our lives forever.

I want to express the thanks of my entire family to the first responders and all the hospital staff that worked so hard to make sure Topher was safe, healthy and well cared for. Topher is back to 100 percent, bugging his brothers and his parents as only a two-year old can do. We have a much stronger appreciation of the joy he brings into our lives, and sometimes my wife and I will stand at his bedroom door before we go to bed, just watching him sleep. We also realize that life can change in an instant, so we need to be vigilant, trained and ready to act in an emergency. Please get trained in CPR – it really can save lives!

The ABCD of Pool Safety

Drownings and near drownings are on the rise in the valley this summer. The accidents happen every year, but so far this year appears to be worse than others. Theres a good chance of not hearing a child who's in the process of drowning. That's why constant, visual contact is the only option.

More than swimming lessons are needed to protect your child from drowning. Water play can turn tragic in a matter of seconds, and you may not hear it happen. "Drowning is known as the silent death," says Scott Allison with Clark County Fire Department. "So there's very little splashing and hardly ever any kind of noise or yelling or whatever." It's a point thats driven home in video of a near drowning. A child slips to the bottom of this pool unnoticed. She doesn't flail or yell, as some might expect. The lifeguards missed it. They tell us there were only two of them watching a pool with more than a hundred swimmers.

Fortunately the girl was rescued quickly thanks to a high tech computer system. It uses cameras that scan the pool for motionless swimmers. The cameras are both inside the pool and above it. The system sets off an alarm. It alerts lifeguards to potential problems. In case they don't see it on their own.

Not available yet in las vegas, but could be soon in commercial pools here. Most child drownings occur in the family's own backyard. Toddlers are most at risk because they usually can't swim and they're adventurous. To protect your family, experts recommend installing a child safety fence. It should be at least four feet high and surround the pool completely, because this kind of tragedy can occur in minutes.

It's something Cierra Sonetti knows all too well. Her son Austin nearly drowned two years ago in his grandfather's pool. It happened during a family party, with several adults. "I couldn't even explain to you what happened because it happened that quick," Sonetti said. "I think he tried walking on the pool cover and my husband had actually pulled the pool cover back and found him," Sonetti explains. "He was just lifeless and just blue and soaking wet."

Austin is now 3. He suffered brain damage and is in a vegetative state. Cierra spends most of her time caring for him. "It's 150 percent preventable and no family needs to go through it," says Sonetti. It's a message echoed by the Clark County Fire Department in a new public service campaign.

Just a few minutes of oxygen deprivation can lead to permanent brain damage or death. "It's been the worst experience of our life, but we still have him," Sonetti said. "And he's here with us. And it is a lot of work to take care of but I wouldn't trade it. I wouldn't change it for anything."

The fire department wants to remind you about drowning prevention.
A stands for adult supervision, with eye contact. As we showed you, you might not hear anything. B is for barriers like pool fences and alarms. C is for classes. Swimming classes for your kids and CPR for you. D stands for devices. Things like life jackets and rescue tools. However, you should not depend on a floatation device to keep your child safe!

Drowning Education and Prevention

Some officials have said that August is the deadliest month for child drowning. Here in Arizona many people are getting involved to raise awareness including the Phoenix police and fire departments, local news stations as well as some local pool fence and home builder companies.

After drowning had decreased in 2006, so far in 2007 11 children have drowned in the Phoenix Metro area, all of which were 100% preventable. Everyone has stepped up their efforts to get the word out "2 seconds is too long", a slogan made famous to help prevent child drowning. We try to educate parents to never take your eyes off your child around water, to ensure that you have a pool fence that fully enclosing your pool with a self closing gate. We also teach them to learn CPR.

Having these things in place may prevent your child from drowning. No one will ever know the pain a child drowning can cause until they have lived through it. It's part of our mission to educate these folks just how tragic it would be so that they never have to live with the brokenness of losing a child to a preventable drowning.

Drownings Can Be Prevented

Orange County California There has been 18 deaths due to drowning since January 1st 2007. The most recent occurred in a backyard during a party. More than a dozen adults were in the backyard and about ten children in the pool swimming. One little girl in the pool was wearing floats ,and according to people at the party was swimming face down a lot, apparently holding her breath. After a short time the adults told the children to get out of the pool to eat, all got out but the little girl who was swimming face down. Unfortunately she was not swimming face down; she was not swimming at all. The girl was pulled out and Fire Rescue was called, she did not survive the incident. In party situations and any time children are in the pool ALWAYS have a designated watcher or life guard present to oversee the safety of those in the pool...DROWNINGS CAN BE PREVENTED.

An Ounce Of Prevention - Swimming Pool Fences

This is the story of a friend of mine, whose child drowned a few years ago after his birthday party. The parents had finished the party and locked the doors, which were also equipped with alarms. The child's aunt went outside to cook a hamburger on the barbeque. She opened the doors, disarmed the alarms and began to barbeque. She forgot to close the door when she went inside and the child went outside to the swimming pool and fell in. Fortunately, he was able to be revived and today shows no signs of permanent brain damage; however he went through months of intensive therapy. Years later the aunt continues to see a psychologist and continues in therapy because she feels responsible for the accident. This is a near drowning which easily could have been avoided by the homeowner installing a swimming pool safety fence around the swimming pool. A pool fence would have prevented the baby from accidentally falling into the water. Nothing prevents accidents like a swimming pool barrier.

From Ana Hernandez, Pool Guard of Miami/Dade:

Two months ago we installed a swimming pool fence at the home of a critical care nurse for Miami Childrens Hospital in Dade County, Florida. She told me, and I was surprised to learn, that every week, and more often in the summer, at least one child in Dade County, Florida is admitted to the trauma center at Miami Childrens Hospital due to either a drowning or a near drowning. Many of these cases are reported by the news services. Miami is a swimming pool prevalent area and a swimming pool barrier fence would prevent so many of these tragic drownings and near drownings. This critical care nurse told me that she would never consider moving into her new home without Pool Guard installing a pool safety fence at her swimming pool.

Water Safety Tips from California's Consumnes Fire Department

The Fire Department in Cosumnes, California has provided several tips to insure that your children are safe this summer while near water:

• Designate an adult to keep thier eyes on the water and the kids during social gatherings.
• Learn CPR. Every second counts in an emergency.
• Know which friends and neighbors have swimming pools. Make sure your child will be supervised by an adult when visiting their pool.
• Install pool fencing around home swimming pools.
• Don't rely on pool alarms and pool covers as primary pool safety equipment. They should be used along with pool fencing and supervison.
• Children can drown in as little as 1 inch of water. Wading pools, bathtubs, buckets, diaper pails, toilets, spas and hot tubs can be dangerous.
• Avoid playing around pool drains as these can be dangerous with or without a cover. Long hair can become tangled in filtering hardware.
• Borrow a life jacket. Some of the local fire houses have them available to loan in adult and child sizes for free.

Pool Guard Pool Fence Distributors in California:

• Pool Guard of San Diego
• Pool Guard of Orange County
• Pool Guard of the Inland Empire
• Pool Guard of Sacramento
• Pool Guard of Northern California
• Pool Guard of Bakersfield, California
• Pool Guard of the Bay Area
• Pool Guard of Greater Sacramento and Northern California
• Pool Guard if Ventua / Santa Barbara
• Pool Guard of Los Angeles
  

Sacramento Sees 9 Pool Drownings or Near Drownings Since April 1

From the News 10 ABC article, "Family Recounts Toddler's Near Drowning".

"Since April 1, there have been nine drownings or near drownings of children in pools and spas in the Sacramento area. "

A decision to purchase a pool fence or a pool net for your swimming pool is wise and responsible. Drowning can occur in as little as three seconds and is a leading cause of accidental death in children under five years of age. Additionally, each year there are many young victims of near drowning who require emergency room treatment, many of whom suffer permanent damage. A majority of children who are involved in these tragic accidents have been missing from sight for a very short period of time and were last seen in the home. Even though there is no substitute for adult supervision, a pool fence or net provides an additional layer of protection between a precious child and a pool which helps guard against disaster.

Adam Horn
Pool Guard of Sacramento
916-673-3152

Pool Fences Are The Only Barrier With Proven Effectiveness

KTNV ABC Channel 13 released an article on their site, "Plan a Satisfying -- and Safe -- Summer of Pool Enjoyment". The article talks about how constant adult supervision is vital in saving your child from drowning in the pool. The article also notes that in addition to adult supervision, pool fences or pool barriers with a properly functioning pool gate can provide a second layer of security.

"Pool fences can give parents the time they need to realize their child is missing and to re-establish eye-to-eye contact."

Station KTNV has hit the nail on the head. One of the most important factors dealing with swimming pool safety is 'safer water'. A pool fence or pool barrier placed around a swimming pool definitely creates not only 'safer water', but 'safer children'.

Additionally, Pool Guard utilizes the D&D Technologies magna-latch on every Pool Guard self-closing, self-latching, walk-thru gate it manufactures. A self-closing gate renders a pool fence safer because the pool fence can never accidentally be left open.

Childproofing Your Home

Childproofing your house does not have to be a major event, a quick walk or crawl through your home can open your eyes to the dangers your child will face every day. Look at the task of Child Proofing your home - at their level. Get down on your hands and knees and see things the way they do.

When I walk into a customer’s home I start right in the foyer and take a look at the stair case and the banister. I always recommend a permanently mounted gate at the top of stairs to prevent falls. I check the spacing between banister slats and suggest Plexiglas if there is a risk of the child falling through or using the slats to climb. Some clients choose to gate the bottom of the stairs or close off the foir area at other access points instead. While in this area I look for tall or top heavy pieces of furniture that should be secured to avoid being tipped, Suggest locks on closets and throwing away dry cleaning bags, I also suggest locks on basement and exterior doors and suggest outlet/cord protection devices where needed.

With so much outdoor living these days I like to take a look at the deck and suggest gates at the steps and make sure the slat spacing is safe. Some parents may want to consider a soft mat for children to crawl on instead of wood or concrete decks. If a pool is involved parents should be aware that this is a major safety concern and have appropriate layers of protection in place. I suggest alarms on all doors from the house to the pool area, A swimming pool safety fence that surrounds the pool that has a self closing / self latching gate and things like always being able to see the pool from the house, keeping a cordless phone near the pool to call for help and so you don’t have to leave the pool area to answer the phone. Parents should also take a CPR class and be sure to check the pool first if in doubt.

Safety Fences Help Prevent Swimming Pool Drownings

AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION COULD SAVE A LIFE - Perhaps YOUR child’s life!

In preventing the drowning of children and for all swimming pool safety, the most important choice you make is the type of removable mesh safety fencing you choose for your swimming pool area - including the pool safety gate.

Talk with a contractor who is willing to visit your home and evaluate your needs based on the size, shape and location of your swimming pool, how many children you have and how old they are and any other special needs you might need to consider. Families should consider the safety of their pets around a swimming pool as well. Beyond keeping your pet safer from drowning, it can keep them safer if you are doing any special cleaning of your swimming pool or pool decking.

The most important hint we can offer is to be sure the latch on the gate is not able to be reached by small children, the baby safety fence if used, should be at least four feet high around the swimming pool area. There shouldn’t be any places where your child’s leg or even their foot can fit into that would enable them to climb over the fence.

Swimming Pool Safety Rules

YOUR CHILD’S LIFE IS VALUABLE…GUARD IT CAREFULLY THIS SUMMERTIME

Summertime is fast approaching. School will be out and vacation time begins. Be sure you have developed an Annual Spring Checklist for all the Safety concerns you want to avoid with the coming outdoor pool season.

Swimming Pool Safety Tips:

• Be sure the list of Pool Rules is posted and updated and in an obvious place for all to see.
• Remove and store all pool chemicals, equipment, hoses, and clamps etc in a safe locked storage area for use when you need them.
• Be sure any buckets are not filled with water or chemicals.
• Use protective electrical covers for all outlets, both inside and outside of your home.
• Check the hinges and latches, in particular to the pool or hot tub gate. Be sure they all latch well; it’s pretty easy for little fingers to manipulate a loosely attached latch.
• Be sure all electrical appliances are away from any water sources which may cause an electrical shock.
• Maintain a life ring with rope near the pool or a long pole to use to reach someone who may be in trouble in the water.
• Be sure the seasons life jackets are in good repair and ready to use, especially the ones for the little ones.
• If children are swimming in the pool be sure an adult is present to watch them. Contact your pool company that installed your safety fence and ask them if they do an annual safety check.Then schedule one if they do.

Pool Safety Guidelines

Pool Safety 101

• Pools should have layers of protection to prevent drowning
• Fences and walls should be at least 4 feet high
• Self-latching gates out of reach of children
• Alarms on doors, pool covers, motion-detectors
• Rescue equipment such as a pole, life ring etc.
• A phone by the pool area
• Pool area free from toys, chairs etc.

People Should

• Learn CPR and practice it Learn how to swim and never swim alone
• Learn FIRST RESPONDER skills
• Be aware of possible dangers
• Be responsible for safety features and watching children
• Never leave a child alone around water

Greatest Problems Causing Near Drowning or Drowning are:

• Lack of Adult Supervision
• Lack of Awareness, Training and Education
• No Lifeline in Place
• No trained Personnel Available for Response
• No Fence or Barrier
• Gates Left Open
• Lack of General Water Safety

Experts believe the installation of fences around household swimming pools could save the lives of some but not all of the nearly 600 toddlers who drown in the US every year.

Additional strategies to prevent drowning are also needed.

• An increase in the level of supervision of children by parents, older siblings and baby sitters would probably save the greatest number of young lives.
• Researchers believe adults need to be better educated as to the dangers posed by the family swimming pool.
• Children need to be made aware of the dangers of water as well as the pleasures.
• Adults need to become aware of the safety measures to take to keep their children safe and then take responsibility for the safety of their surroundings.

Water is a great source of enjoyment, however, it can, as well be a potential danger.

• All Caregivers who supervise children should receive training in Emergency Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and First Responder and First Aid Skills.
• Telephones and rescure equipment should be easily accessed from the pool area, providing a lifeline in place by the pool