Miami Fire Rescue Department wants to help you in the
prevention of a drowning or near-drowning incident. Each
year, nearly 1,000 children ages 14 and under drown.
Children ages 4 and under are at the greatest risk –
they can drown in as little as one inch of water.
The majority of drownings occur in residential pools
while children are unattended.
Drowning is the number 1 killer of children ages 8 and
under.
More than 75% of the children involved in a drowning or
near drowning had been seen 5 minutes or less before
being missed and subsequently discovered in the pool.
Never leave your child alone in or near a swimming pool,
hot tub, or wading pool. Carry a cordless telephone to
ensure constant supervision without interruptions.
- Enclose your pool or spa with four-sided fencing at
least five feet high, with self-closing and
self-latching gates. Do not count your house as one of
the sides.
- Use pool alarms and pool covers as multiple barriers.
Install separate locks at least 5 feet above the floor
on all doors leading to the water.
- Learn CPR and keep rescue equipment and a telephone at
pool side. Seconds count in preventing brain damage or
death.
- Empty and turn upside down any wading pools not in use.
- Remove steps from above-ground pools or spas when not in
use.
- Teach children to swim, but don’t rely on swim lessons
to protect your child from drowning.
- Learn to swim programs do not “drown proof” your child.
- Teach children water safety and swimming skills as early
as possible.
- Maintain constant supervision. Watch children around any
water (pool, canals, rivers, oceans, bathtubs, toilets
and even buckets of water) no matter how well your child
can swim and no matter how shallow the water.
- Always brief your babysitter on water safety. Emphasize
the need for constant supervision.
- Appoint a “designated watcher” to monitor children
during social gatherings at or near pools.
- If a child is missing, check the pool first; seconds
count in preventing death or disability.
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