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SUFFOLK COUNTY RED CROSS ISSUES WATER & POOL SAFETY TIPS AS SUMMER SEASON BEGINS

Backyard Pool Safety
With the traditional Memorial Day opening of the backyard pool season, the Suffolk County Chapter of the American Red Cross reminds residents to follow water safety rules to avoid pool accidents.

Make sure that your pool is surrounded on all sides by a fence that is at least 4 feet high. It should not provide any footholds, which would allow a child to climb over, or spacing to climb through. The fence should have a self-closing, self-locking gate that is locked when the pool is not in use. A first aid kit, cordless phone, phone list with emergency contact information, a reaching pole and a ring buoy with a nylon line attached are all recommended poolside items.

First aid kits, like the Good Housekeeping-approved kit from the American Red Cross, should contain plastic face shields, which can help prevent disease transmission. Cordless phones allow you to make that 9-1-1 call and to receive calls without leaving the area. These items, coupled with a pool emergency action plan that is similar to a fire emergency plan, ensure that the entire family is prepared.
Some rules to consider for your pool include:

• No one swims alone – even adults
• One adult should always have 100 percent of their attention directed on the pool when children are swimming or in the pool area. It’s helpful if adults take turns paying attention and if all adults are trained in first aid and CPR.
• Diving is outlawed in home pools – they are far too shallow.
• Glass containers are also outlawed at or around a home pool.
• There should be set pool breaks where all swimmers hop out, reapply sunscreen, drink water, and just take a break. This allows the adults surveying the pool to ensure that everyone is in good spirits and not suffering from heat exhaustion, sunburn or fatigue.
• Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water is to learn to swim--this includes adults and children.
• Never leave a child unobserved around water. Your eyes must be on the child at all times. Adult supervision is recommended.
• Install a phone by the pool or keep a cordless phone nearby so that you can call 9-1-1 in an emergency.
• Learn Red Cross CPR and insist that babysitters, grandparents, and others who care for your child know CPR.
• Post CPR instructions and 9-1-1 or your local emergency number in the pool area.
• Enclose the pool completely with a self-locking, self-closing fence with vertical bars. Openings in the fence should be no more than four inches wide. The house should not be included as a part of the barrier.The gate should be constructed so that it is self-latching and self-closing.
• Never leave furniture near the fence that would enable a child to climb over the fence.
• Always keep basic lifesaving equipment by the pool and know how to use it. Pole, rope, and personal flotation devices (PFDs) are recommended.
• Keep toys away from the pool when it is not in use. Toys can attract young children into the pool.
• Pool covers should always be completely removed prior to pool use.
• If a child is missing, check the pool first. Go to the edge of the pool and scan the entire pool, bottom, and surface, as well as the surrounding pool area

Fire Safety Tips
The American Red Cross and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) released results of a survey showing the majority (79%) of Americans are concerned about the rising cost of heating their homes, and many will use an alternative heating source to reduce their bills this winter. The survey identified additional behaviors related to appliance maintenance and cooking that could also present home fire hazards this winter.

“Home fires can be just as devastating as any other type of disaster,” said Diane Amarosa, Executive Director of the Suffolk County Chapter. “The Red Cross is here to help anyone affected by a home fire, but also to provide information that helps people prevent and stay safer in a home fire.”

Heating and Cooking Fires:
According to NFPA reports, cooking and heating are the leading causes of home fires. The survey revealed the majority of Americans are concerned about the rising cost of heating their homes (79%), and that 48% of households will use an alternative heating source to reduce their bills this winter. Alternative heating sources include portable space heaters, stoves, ovens and fireplaces. A third (36%) of people with fireplaces reported they never cleaned or inspected their chimneys. The survey also found 23% of respondents did not consider it essential to make sure someone is home when food is cooking on the stove.

Smoke Alarms and Fire Escape Plans:
Respondents also revealed another unsafe behavior, which is disabling (37%) smoke alarms when they go off in a non-testing situation. More than half (53%) of the households surveyed have not taken any of three common actions in most home fire escape plans, which includes discussing with family members how to get out of the home, deciding on an outdoor meeting place and practicing the plan.

NFPA and the American Red Cross offer these and other safety tips:

• Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling or broiling food. If you must leave, even for a short time, turn off the stove.
• Give space heaters space by keeping them at least 3 feet from anything that can burn. Turn off heaters when you leave the room or go to sleep.
• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas.

For additional fire safety tips visit www.firepreventionweek.org or www.redcross.org/homefires.