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Redding Aquatic Center launches water safety campaign
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Crystal Austin holds her 8-month-old son, Seth Austin, during the Guppies swim class for children 6 to 18 months old Thursday at the Redding Aquatic Center. View gallery »
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Jenny Moore is on a mission.
Armed with a three-year, $96,000 grant, Moore and the Redding Aquatic Center have begun a publicity campaign this summer to raise the public’s awareness of accidental drownings among children.
“We want to work together to keep kids safe,” she said.
Moore, a recreation supervisor at the aquatic center, offers a bevy of tips and advice for parents on how to keep children safe in the water.
Many accidents happen in backyard pools when plenty of adults are around, she said. The most important thing parents and caregivers can do is to simply be aware of their child’s presence and activity in the pool.
“If everybody’s watching, nobody is watching, in a sense,” she said, explaining that oftentimes adults don’t watch closely because they assume someone else will be keeping an eye on swimmers.
As part of the grant, the aquatic center has created the “Designated Water Watcher” tag that hangs around the neck, complete with whistle.
Adults wear the tag and whistle around their neck when they’re with groups at the pool or lake, letting everyone know they are the ones keeping an eye on the kids.
She recommends adults pass it off in regular intervals to ensure everyone takes a turn and fresh eyes are kept on the water.
“You can share the responsibility,” she said.
The tags are available for free from the aquatic center.
Below are tips from the Redding Aquatic Center and other water safety experts on how to protect your children this summer.
Reporter Rob Rogers can be reached at 225-8217 or at rrogers@redding.com.
Keep them safe
Here are a few tips from north state water safety experts.
• Gentle beginnings: Start young and get toddlers comfortable with water. Place them in the water and let them get a sense for it. They may love it immediately, or they may not like it all. So do it repeatedly until it’s a sensation they’re comfortable with.
• Learned behavior: Swimming is not instinctual for humans. So make sure kids receive swimming lessons and water safety techniques starting at a young age — 3 years old is a good time to start.
• Be there when you’re there: At the lake or at the home pool, pay attention to your kids when they get into the water, especially if there’s a lot going on. If you’re in a group, make sure there’s at least one adult who is designated to watch.
• Use the Guard: Make sure the flotation devices your child is using are certified by the U.S. Coast Guard or another reputable group. If you’re on a boat on the lake, make sure everyone is wearing a Coast Guard-certified life vest.
Lock it up tight
Here are a few things you can do to keep it safe from wandering and curious children.
• Fence: Enclose the pool with a fence that’s at least four feet tall, designed with no handrails and foot rails for kids to climb on.
• Close-knit: If the fence has slats, make sure they’re no more than four inches apart so kids can’t slip though.
• Latch it: The fence’s latch should be self-closing and self-latching and near the top of the gate, well out of the reach of children. It should also include a lock or be able to accommodate a padlock. Keep it securely locked when not in use.
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