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The most important point to remember is to use
common sense around pools or any other body of water. The
following is some information to remember to make sure your pool or hot
tub use is
not marred by a preventable tragedy. NOTE: These points are
provided as a service to the community, and this list is not intended to
be all-inclusive. Be sure to use good common sense and judgment
when using your pool.
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Never use your pool or hot tub alone.
Should someone become unconscious or injured, it is critical to be
able to assist the person immediately and contact emergency
services. If you are alone in your pool, you run the risk of
being without help for a considerable amount of time. Also,
it's just more fun to have people with you!
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Do not allow children to swim unattended.
Constant supervision is absolutely necessary to protect their
well-being. Also, make sure children are strong enough
swimmers to be in the pool, and make sure the pool is not larger or
deeper than they can handle.
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When using a pool or hot tub, consume alcohol
responsibly. Alcohol and water can be a fatal combination. Alcohol can impair judgment, possibly
causing a traumatic incident, but when combined with heat such as
that in a hot tub, alcohol's effect is increased, possibly causing
unconsciousness which could lead to drowning.
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Keep glass away from the pool area. Most
people are around a pool in bare feet, so any broken glass could
cause injury. Use plastic cups, plates, and bottles when
around the pool.
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Limit access to your pool or hot tub. Put
a railing including a locking gate around your pool, preventing
unauthorized access. Make sure to keep the gate closed and
locked when the pool is not in use.
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Keep a flotation device nearby in case of an
emergency. Also, having a long object close to the pool, such
as the handle to a pool vacuum, could prove useful in an emergency.
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Do not allow diving or jumping into pools not
designed for this activity. Diving or jumping into a pool not
designed for this could lead to severe injury, including paralysis,
or even death.
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If an emergency occurs, call 911 immediately!
Time is of the essence, so do not delay contacting emergency
services at the first indication of a problem.
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Should a diving accident occur and the person
is unconscious, stabilize the neck and back and be sure their nose
and mouth is above water to allow breathing, but do not attempt to
remove the person from the water. Doing so could cause severe
injury, so leave removal of the person to trained emergency
personnel.
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Take a CPR course provided by the American Red
Cross or American Heart Association. This training will allow
you to provide critical emergency care to a victim of a drowning
before EMS personnel arrive. These courses are provided at
intervals at the American Red Cross in Manchester, or at the Candia
Fire Station and other facilities in the area.
If you have any questions or would like to contact
a member of Candia Fire-Rescue to discuss some point of Pool Safety,
follow the Contact Information
link and use that information to contact us!
Back to
Public Safety Information
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