Every Child Should Swim Safely…..

By Ron Hicks
General Manager
Pool Scouts Of Huntsville

The summer is in full swing. We celebrated Independence Day with our family and friends. This is prime season for many families to enjoy their pools in more ways than one. We all know that relaxing by the pool to beat the summer heat is the best way to have fun. In our summer fun, it is essential to keep water safety at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Drowning can happen very quickly; it takes two minutes and 2 inches of water for a child to drown. That’s why it’s so essential to spread awareness about the importance of learning how to swim, and keeping your pool water safe!
 
According to the CDC, drowning is the leading cause of accidental death in the United States for children ages four and under, and ten people per day drown in the United States. According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, 39% of accidental drownings occurred in pools. With these alarming statistics, we can use a few tools to decrease accidental drowning and keep our children safe. Education and training are vital to keeping our children safe and reducing the number of drownings we have in Alabama. Pool Scouts of Huntsville and the Hope Floats Foundation have partnered to bring you a few tips to assist in our initiative to help reduce the number of drownings in Alabama.

Let’s ensure every child is safe while enjoying their water fun time.  All children should participate in swimming lessons.  Participating in swim lessons reduces the risk of drowning by 88%.  Hope Floats Foundation is making a difference through teaching swimming lessons. They are partnering with swim schools and businesses across the country to provide swim lesson scholarships and swimming lessons.

Another tip to help keep our children safe is to ensure all pools are maintained and water safe. Pool Scouts of Huntsville is committed to water safety because we must continue focusing on preventing childhood drownings nationwide. Water safety is a cause that is near and dear to our hearts here at Pool Scouts. Not only are we focused on cleaning and maintaining pools, but we always want to provide a safe environment for you and your family.
 
National Water Safety Month was created by the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals to raise awareness about water safety and to help everyone have safe, fun experiences in and around the water. To reduce the number of drowning deaths and eliminate the alarming statistics, Pool Scouts partnered with Hope Floats Foundation to raise money to assist in providing swim lessons for underprivileged children who may not have an opportunity to learn how to swim. For every pool service completed in the month of May, Pool Scouts donated $1 to go towards Hope Floats to provide scholarships to children for swim lessons in our community. We take honor in partnering with Hope Floats and believe that we can help save lives in our community.