Swim for Safety
By Irvine City News staff
Everyone knows about Irvine’s admirable record of public safety. But there’s one area in which we can do much, much better: preventing drowning. According to the Orange County Fire Authority, Irvine has the second-highest drowning rate in Orange County. Drowning is the leading cause of accidental injury and death for O.C. kids under 5 years old.
Children are most likely to die in a home swimming pool. In fact, a residential pool is 14 times more likely to cause a death than an automobile. No kids live at your house, so you think your pool isn’t a concern? Some 35% of drowning occurs at someone else’s pool, and not at the victim’s home.
But it’s not just kids. Adults over 50 (a third of all drownings, some studies show) and anyone who swims alone are at risk.
The statistics are scary, which is why the city of Irvine and Irvine Unified School District are partnering with the Orange County Task Force for Drowning Prevention, including a $25,000 grant to support the efforts that the city council recently approved unanimously.
The 24-member task force includes the representatives from public health, public safety, government, nonprofit organizations, parents of victims, and OC Olympic swimmers Janet Evans and Aaron Peirsol.
How can we prevent drowning deaths? Education is key. Swimming lessons and close supervision are among the layers of safety recommended. Never rely on water wings, noodles, rafts, or other swimming aids. Learn first aid and CPR. Always keep a phone nearby to call 9-1-1.
For those with home pools, California Building Officials recommend a well-maintained, nonclimbable fence surrounding the pool with self-closing and self-latching gates. And since 46% of childhood drowning victims were last seen inside the home and not by the pool, it’s recommended that homes have self-closing, self-latching doors with automatic sliding door closers.
Irvine Unified School District has more about the ABCs of drowning prevention, available in several languages: newsflash.iusd.org/2016/06/important-water-safety-reminders/
And Orange County Fire Association has more information here: ocfa.org/SafetyPrograms/DrowningPrevention.aspx
Children are most likely to die in a home swimming pool. In fact, a residential pool is 14 times more likely to cause a death than an automobile. No kids live at your house, so you think your pool isn’t a concern? Some 35% of drowning occurs at someone else’s pool, and not at the victim’s home.
But it’s not just kids. Adults over 50 (a third of all drownings, some studies show) and anyone who swims alone are at risk.
The statistics are scary, which is why the city of Irvine and Irvine Unified School District are partnering with the Orange County Task Force for Drowning Prevention, including a $25,000 grant to support the efforts that the city council recently approved unanimously.
The 24-member task force includes the representatives from public health, public safety, government, nonprofit organizations, parents of victims, and OC Olympic swimmers Janet Evans and Aaron Peirsol.
How can we prevent drowning deaths? Education is key. Swimming lessons and close supervision are among the layers of safety recommended. Never rely on water wings, noodles, rafts, or other swimming aids. Learn first aid and CPR. Always keep a phone nearby to call 9-1-1.
For those with home pools, California Building Officials recommend a well-maintained, nonclimbable fence surrounding the pool with self-closing and self-latching gates. And since 46% of childhood drowning victims were last seen inside the home and not by the pool, it’s recommended that homes have self-closing, self-latching doors with automatic sliding door closers.
Irvine Unified School District has more about the ABCs of drowning prevention, available in several languages: newsflash.iusd.org/2016/06/important-water-safety-reminders/
And Orange County Fire Association has more information here: ocfa.org/SafetyPrograms/DrowningPrevention.aspx
