Alcohol and Swimming Don’t Mix

With the Labor Day holiday fast approaching, the Phoenix Fire Department urges you not to mix alcohol with partying around the pool. The number of adult fatalities we’ve had this year due to drowning is FOUR TIMES the number of pediatric drowning fatalities (sixteen adult drowning fatalities vs. four pediatric drowning fatalities.) A number of those fatalities could have been prevented by not combining alcohol with swimming.

Of course, many families will be spending time with their children around the pool this weekend too, so water safety is always a good message to get out to the public.

How to Prevent Drowning:

• Never go swimming alone, whether you’re an adult or a child.
• NEVER allow children to be alone near a pool or any water source.
• Do not allow children to play in the pool area.
• Use an approved barrier to separate the pool from the house.
• Keep tables, chairs and ladders AWAY from pool fences.
• Mount life-saving devices near the pool.
• Post the 9-1-1 phone number on the phone. Think about installing a phone near the pool area. Never leave children alone near the pool while talking on the phone.
• Learn to swim.
• Learn CPR.

If you possess two or more of the following factors, you and your family may be at risk for a water-related incident in and around your home.

• New parents
• Caregivers
• New owners of a pool
• New resident to the Valley
• Resident of an apartment complex or community where a pool is not securely fenced
• Multiple children around the pool
• Lack of barriers (fences) or safety precautions around the pool. (No toys, climbable furniture, ladders, etc. near fences or pool)
• Other water hazards around the home without safety features (buckets, bathtubs, toilets, etc.)
• Underestimating the mobility and ability of a toddler

Most Critical Factor:

• Breakdown in supervision or lack of focus when children are present