Plano Fire Department
Fire and Life Safety Education
Safety Tip—May 2008
Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Tips
With the warmer and more pleasant weather headed our way, more families will be spending time on or near the water.
According to Safe Kids Worldwide, drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 1 to 4 years and the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 1 to 14 years.
In Texas, about 300 people drown each year and for each child who drowns it is estimated that four children are hospitalized for near-drowning. Near-drowning is defined as survival after submersion in fluid.
The ease with which a child can experience a near-drowning or actually drown is frightening. One inch of water covering a child’s mouth and nose can cause drowning. Any standing water is a danger but specific risks include home pools, spas, ponds, natural bodies of water, bathtubs, toilets and buckets.
The Home Safety Council and the American Red Cross, along with the Plano Fire Department, urge you to take the following basic safety precautions around water outdoors and in the home.
- Watch your children in and around water. Assign a “Water Watcher,” an adult who knows how to swim, to watch over children in the pool during parties and gatherings. Make sure this person takes this responsibility seriously and does not leave his or her duty until relieved by another adult.
- Instruct babysitters and other caretakers (like grandparents) about potential pool hazards and emphasize the need for constant supervision.
- Place a phone, a lifesaving ring and a shepherd’s hook at pool side. It is important to post the address of the home near the pool as well in case a guest is responsible for calling 9-1-1 in an emergency.
- All family members 13 years and older should learn CPR.
- Remember that nobody is drown proof! Do not assume that your child is safe just because he or she has taken swimming lessons.
- Do not use floatation devices as a substitution for supervision.
- When on large bodies of water like a lake or river children and adults should always wear personal floatation devices or life jackets. The life jacket should fit snugly.
- The home should be isolated from the pool with a fence at least 60” tall, with a self-closing, self-latching gate. The gate should open away from the pool and should never be propped open.
- Doors and windows should be alarmed to alert adults when opened. Doors should be self-closing and self-latching as well.
- Remove toys from in and around the pool when not in use.
- If a child is missing, check the pool first. Seconds count!
- Always supervise young children during bath time. Baby bath seats are not a safety device and should never be substituted for adult supervision.
- Never leave standing water in the bathtub and keep toilet lids shut. Use toilet seat locks.
- Empty large buckets and wading pools after using them. Keep them upside down when not in use.
If you have any questions concerning fire and life safety information please contact the Plano Fire Department at 972-941-7421 or peggyha@plano.gov.