Safer Water – Academy Swim Club

Childhood drowning is preventable. Supervision is vital and children need to learn to swim, but there are also ways to police your pool. Barriers and alarms guard the water even when you are not there.
Fences. Nothing could be simpler. You can opt for a permanent, wrought iron masterpiece or the flexibility of a removable fence. Whichever option you choose, consider installing a key or combination lock. We’ve all heard too many stories of precocious preschoolers balancing on lawn chairs, tricycles, pets, etc. Hide the key as well.
Safety Pool Covers. These are mesh or solid covers that are pulled taut and secured to the deck at recessed brackets. Flimsy solar covers offer no protection against drowning, but safety covers are strong enough to prevent accidents and offer warranties of up to 25 years. The mesh ones also allow rain to pass through while keeping out leaves and debris. Keeping pools clean and saving kids’ lives – how’s that for multi-tasking?
Alarms. You’ve got a lots of options: in-pool alarms, gate alarms, door alarms. The technology for in-pool alarms has improved so that the siren doesn’t go off every time a leaf falls into the pool. Gate alarms not only alert you when a child opens the gate, but also when an adult fails to close the gate. ADT offers a security system that announces any door that is opened (“Back Door – Open,” in a feminine voice like the computer in Star Trek). Pretty handy when you’re as worried about the kids escaping into the front yard as the back.
So which one should you get? You need to judge which will work best for your family, but ideally you need more than one barrier or alarm. There is no ONE sure fire way to protect your children from drowning; the trick is to wrap them in layers of protection. Swim lessons, barriers and alarms, and educated supervision all work together to keep kids safe.
For more information on swim lessons and water safety, contact Academy Swim Club at 661-702-8585, info@swim4life.com or www.swim4life.com.