Oneida County Offers Swimming Safety Tips

Utica, NY (WIBX) - With schools soon closing and the mercury rising, backyard and municipal swimming pools throughout Oneida County will soon be luring youngsters with the promise of summer fun and relief from the seasonal heat. However, without warning, what began as fun in the water can turn into tragedy for a child.

County Executive Anthony Picente, Jr. reminds residents that swimming accidents are a major cause of serious injury and death among children.

“By following some basic safety tips, we can protect our most precious resource as Oneida County children go about enjoying care-free summer fun in and around the water,” Picente said. “Let’s make this the safest summer ever by following these simple rules.”

· Learn to swim. The best thing you can do to be safe in and around water is to be able to swim – this applies to both children and adults.

· Never leave a child unattended in the pool. Even in municipal pools where lifeguards are on duty, parents or adult guardians should monitor children.

· Keep a wireless phone by the pool so that emergency medical help can be summoned quickly if necessary.

· Learn CPR. Anyone supervising children near water, including grandparents and babysitters, should know how to perform CPR.

· Post Emergency numbers and CPR instructions in the pool area.

· Enclose the pool area with a self-closing, self-locking fence. Do not leave furniture near the fence that would allow children to climb over the fence.

· Keep lifesaving equipment including a pole, a rope and personal floatation device by the pool and know how to use them.

· Keep toys away from the pool when not it use as they may attract young children to the water.

· If you have a backyard pool and child is missing, check the pool first!

“Never leave small children unattended in small portable pools, fountains or buckets filled with water, as even small bodies of water pose the threat of drowning to a child,” Dr. Gayle D. Jones, Director of Health said. “Children should be kept away from spas and hot tubs since they are susceptible to overheating.”

For more information on pool safety contact the Oneida County Health Department at 798-5064 or visit our web site at www.ocgov.net.