Pool Safety Lessons

Pool safety isn’t just about teaching your child to swim. Help prevent your child from drowning by:

• never using air-filled “swimming aids” as a substitute for U.S. Coast Guard approved life vests.
• removing all toys from the pool after use so children aren’t tempted to reach for them.
• securing the pool after swimming so children cannot reenter the pool.

For more information about keeping your kids safe around the water this year, visit The Drowning Prevention Coalition of Palm Beach County.

ABCs of Water Safety

Following the ABCs of Water Safety can help your family prevent accidents in and around the water.

A—Adult Supervision

• Adults should be within arm's length, providing visual and physical supervision whenever infants and toddlers are in and around the water.
• An adult "water watcher" should be appointed every 15 minutes whose sole responsibility is to watch the pool area without distractions. The water watcher should be a sober adult who knows CPR and has basic swimming skills.

Check out the Drowning Coalition of Palm Beach County and Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners’ press release on the ABCs of Water Safety to learn more.

ABCs of Water Safety (part B)

Following the ABCs of Water Safety can help your family prevent accidents in and around the water.

B—Barriers and Beach Safety

• Have a properly working physical barrier around, on, or in the pool itself (i.e. isolation fence, pool safety cover, pool alarm) that meets code requirements.
• Install window and door alarms that sound when breached.
• Always swim at a lifeguarded beach and pay attention to the beach flags.

Check out the Drowning Coalition of Palm Beach County and Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners’ press release on the ABCs of Water Safety to learn more.

ABCs of Water Safety (part C)

Following the ABCs of Water Safety can help your family prevent accidents in and around the water.

C—Classes

• Children should take a water safety course at a local aquatic facility to learn the skills necessary to survive in the water.
• Adults should take CPR classes.

Check out the Drowning Coalition of Palm Beach County and Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners’ press release on the ABCs of Water Safety to learn more.

The Most Dangerous Time of the Year

According to the Drowning Prevention Coalition of Palm Beach County, the months of April and May have the highest occurrences of drowning in the one to four-year-old age range. That means parents and water watchers need to take time to educate children on how to be safe in and around the water and be on high alert when children are swimming.

Swim Classes

To increase your child’s chances of surviving in the water, enroll him or her in a swim class. Find a swim class in your area by accessing this PDF.

Do You Know CPR?

When someone is drowning and blood flow and breathing stops, brain damage and even death can occur within seconds. Emergency chest compression or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can save lives while professional medical care is on the way.

For every minute that passes without CPR, the chances of survival decrease by 7 to 10 percent.
—American Heart Association

Learning CPR could save the life of a drowning child. The American Red Cross of Palm Beaches—Treasure Coast Region offers a variety of courses. Sign up for a Red Cross course today!

Is Your Pool Safe?

There are a number of pool safety devices you can use to reduce the incidence of injury or death to young children, such as:

• Life jackets
• Perimeter fences
• Pool alarms
• Rescue equipment
• Rope and float lines
• Safety covers

You can also post this two-sided pool safety cling near your pool, which was created in partnership by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and the American Red Cross.