Town urges residents to review safeguards with entire family & to teach children to swim

North Hempstead, NY – North Hempstead Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth and the Town Board remind residents that with the onset of pool season, some precautions should be taken in regard to pool safety. When school is let out for the summer and children rush to the pools, safety is a main concern, Town officials said, and it is important to review pool safety precautions with the entire family, whether using a pool at a Town facility or a private backyard pool at home.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children ages 1-4, with an average of 390 deaths annual in United States.

“Summer is an exciting time of the year as we open our pristine Town pools and welcome scores of families to enjoy our facilities,” Supervisor Bosworth said. “However, prior to spending time in your own pool or at a public pool, there are necessary guidelines that parents and children should be aware of.”

Pool Safety Tips from the Town of North Hempstead
• Never leave a child unsupervised or unattended while near a pool.
• Remove all toys from the pool after use so children aren’t tempted to reach for them
• You must put up a fence to separate your house from the pool. The Town requires the installation of a fence at least 6 feet high around all sides of the pool, as well as the use of self-closing and self-latching gates that secure from the inside. For more details see: Town of North Hempstead Building Department
• Practice “touch supervision” with children younger than 5 years. This means that the adult is within an arm’s length of the child at all times.
• After use, securely close the pool.
• Keep rescue equipment and a phone near the pool.
• Never use a pool with its pool cover partially in place, since children may become entrapped under it. Remove the cover completely.
• Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The Town of North Hempstead offers CPR training and certification courses to all residents multiple times per year. The town sponsors the training courses with the National Safety Council Adult and Pediatric CPR and AED. Training and certification courses are held at Town Hall.
In addition, the Building Department also requires that residents put up a fence to separate your house from the pool. The Town requires the installation of a fence at least 6 feet high around all sides of the pool, as well as the use of self-closing and self-latching gates that secure from the inside.

Supervisor Bosworth is also encouraging parents to teach their children to swim. She advises, “Teaching children to swim at a young age gives them the foundation for becoming skilled swimmers, which can help them avoid dangerous situations in the pool.”

The Town offers numerous programs that teach children how to swim. For opportunities to learn to swim, visit the Town’s Summer Parks Guide, pages 15-25.
For more information on these programs or on anything else related to pool safety log on to www.northhempsteadny.gov or call 311.