Pool Safety

Children drown without a sound - let's all keep our eyes on the kids! Here are some proven pool safety tips.

Provide Barriers of Protection

• Pool fences are required and must be a minimum of 4 feet high and must surround the water on all sides.
• All doorways entering a screen enclosure should be self-closing, have self-latching hardware, and door handles must be at least 54 inches above the ground.
• All doors and windows leading from the house to the pool should be equipped with entry alarms. If the alarm has a disabling mechanism, it should be installed above a child's reach.

Supervision

• Never leave a child alone in or near the water - not even for a second!
• Designate an adult as the child pool watcher at all social functions.
• Never assume that someone else is watching your child.
• Never rely on floaties or floating toys to protect your child from drowning. Only Coast Guard approved flotation devices will safely keep a child afloat.
• Ensure that a telephone is available at the pool for use to call for help.
• Make certain that all pool watchers and babysitters know how to swim, how to perform child/infant CPR, and how to call for help.

Be Prepared

• Learn CPR now! Contact the City of Oldsmar Fire Rescue for class schedules.
• If a child is missing, look in the pool first!
• If you find an unconscious child in the water, yell for help and remove the child from the water immediately.
• Dial 911 and follow the instructions of the 911 call taker regarding CPR and rescue breathing.
• Ask for help before the emergency. You may request a free pool safety survey, complete the resident self-survey form, or seek answers to any of your safety-related questions by contacting the City of Oldsmar Fire Rescue via telephone at 813-749-1200.