Safety Equipment – Odenton Volunteer Fire Company https://www.ovfc28.org Neighbors helping neighbors since 1931. Wed, 09 Jul 2025 15:26:53 +0000 en hourly 1 https://www.ovfc28.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/patch-512x-150x150.png Safety Equipment – Odenton Volunteer Fire Company https://www.ovfc28.org 32 32 Garage and Basement https://www.ovfc28.org/garage-and-basement/ Mon, 01 Jul 2024 22:00:19 +0000 http://www.ovfc28.org/?p=9870

THEY CAN SPREAD FASTER

Garage and basement fires can spread farther and cause more injuries and dollar loss than fires that start in other areas of your home. Here are some things you need to know about keeping your home safe!

Garage and Basement Fire Tips

  • Store oil, gasoline, paints, propane and varnishes in a shed away from your home.
  • Keep items that can burn on shelves away from appliances.
  • Plug only one charging appliance into an outlet.
  • Don’t use an extension cord when charging an appliance.

Consider Installing:

  • A 20-minute fire-rated door that is self-closing and self-latching from the garage into the house.
  • A ceiling made with ⅝-inch Type X gypsum board (or the equivalent) if you have living space above the garage.
  • A wall with ½-inch gypsum board (or the equivalent) if the wall attaches the garage to your home.
  • An attic hatch cover if you have attic access from the garage.
  • A heat alarm — not a smoke alarm — in your garage. The heat alarm will sound if the temperature rises too high.

Did You Know? Facts about Garage Fires 

  • Every year, there are 6,600 garage fires in homes that result in an average of 30 deaths, 400 injuries, and $457 million in property loss.
  • Of these fires, 93 percent occurred in one- and two-family homes.
  • Electrical malfunction is the leading cause of garage fires. These fires can start because of shorts in wires, damaged wires, and overloading electrical outlets.

Quick Tips to Share

Spread the word by sharing these graphics with your family and friends! We encourage you to print these and also share on social media.

Information provided by the U.S. Fire Administration.

https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/home-fires/prevent-fires/basement-and-garage/

]]> Apartments https://www.ovfc28.org/apartments/ Mon, 01 Jul 2024 21:30:15 +0000 http://www.ovfc28.org/?p=9830

REMEMBER, THE BUILDING IS SHARED

People living in an apartment building need to think ahead and be prepared in the event of a fire. It is important to know the fire safety features in your building and work together with neighbors to help keep the building as fire-safe as possible.

If you live in an apartment or condominium you need to know how to get out quickly if a fire starts. Here are some things you need to know about apartment living and fire safety!

Apartment Fires- Quick Facts

  • The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that the U.S. has experienced an average of 88,600 apartment building fires per year between 2013 and 2022.
  • Apartment building fires were responsible for 12 percent of the fire deaths and 21 percent of the fire injuries in 2022 in the U.S.
  • Deaths from apartment fires has been declining from an average of 840 per year in the 1980s to an average of about 375 per year (2013-2022).
  • Injuries from apartment fires, however, continued to climb into the 1990s before gradually declining.

Apartment Fire Safety – Checklist

Make sure the following statements are all true for your new home!

  • Do you have at least one operable smoke alarm?
  • Are your electrical cords in good condition?
  • Do you have any electrical cords running under rugs?
  • Are your space heaters at least three feet from combustibles?
  • If your fire escape window clear and unobstructed?
  • Can your windows be easily opened from the inside?
  • Are your building stairwells free of storage and rubbish?
  • Are the exit lights in your stairwell in working order?
  • Do you have a fire escape plan?

Apartment Fire Safety – Tips

Building Fire Safety-

  • Don’t prop open exit or stairway doors.
  • Speak to your apartment manager if you see a damaged smoke alarm, fire extinguisher or an emergency light that has been burned out.

Be Prepared-

  • Count the number of doors there are between your apartment and the nearest fire exit.
  • Know where all the exit doors and stairs are on your floor.
  • Learn your building evacuation plan if you have one. Create and practice an escape plan for your specific apartment.

Stay Calm-

  • If your door feels warm to the touch, do not attempt to open it. Call 9-1-1 and tell the dispatcher your apartment number and that you can’t open your door.
  • Stuff the cracks around the door with towels, rags, bedding, or tape.
  • Wait at a window and signal for help with a flashlight or by waving a white cloth.
  • If your apartment door is cool to the touch, open it slowly and stay low as you check for fire and smoke in the hallway. If the hallway is safe, follow your building’s evacuation plan.
  • Never use an elevator to escape a fire. Always use the stairs.

Wait Outside for the Fire Department-

  • Stay outside. Do not go back inside for any reason.
  • If you think someone is still inside, tell firefighters where you think they are.
  • Wait until firefighters tell you it is safe to go back into the apartment structure.

Quick Tips to Share

Spread the word by sharing these graphics with your family and friends! We encourage you to print these and also share on social media.

Information provided by the U.S. Fire Administration.

https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/home-fires/

]]> Fire Sprinklers https://www.ovfc28.org/fire-sprinklers/ Mon, 01 Jul 2024 21:00:08 +0000 http://www.ovfc28.org/?p=9705

PROPERLY INSTALLED AND MAINTAINED FIRE SPRINKLERS HELP SAVE LIVES.

Because fire sprinklers react so quickly, they can dramatically reduce the heat, flames, and smoke produced in a fire.

Fire sprinklers have been around for more than a century, protecting commercial and industrial properties and public buildings. What many people don’t realize is that the same life-saving technology is also available for homes, where roughly 85% of all civilian fire deaths occur.

Home Fire Sprinklers – Quick Facts

  • Home fire sprinklers can control and may even extinguish a fire in less time than it would take the fire department to arrive on the scene.
  • Only the sprinkler closest to the fire will activate, spraying water directly on the fire. In 84% of home fires where the sprinklers operate, just one sprinkler operates.
  • If you have a fire in your home, the risk of dying is cut by about one-third when smoke alarms are present (or about half if the smoke alarms are working), while automatic fire sprinkler systems cut the risk of dying by about 80%.
  • In a home with sprinklers, the average property loss per fire is cut by about 70% (compared to fires where sprinklers are not present.)
  • The cost of installing home fire sprinklers vary depending on construction type, area, etc and averages $1.35 per sprinklered square foot.

Home Fire Sprinklers – Did You Know?

  • Safer fire service: The risk to firefighters is much less. Sprinklers reduce the heat, flame and smoke from a fire.
  • Fast response: Home fire sprinklers are more sensitive to heat than those found in businesses or industrial buildings. This means the fire will be detected much sooner.
  • Can blend with your home decor: You can buy home fire sprinklers in different colors. Some can be installed flush with the ceiling, so you will hardly notice they are there.
  • Reliable: Home fire sprinklers only spray when the temperature in the room rises quickly. The sprinkler above the fire is the only one that sprays.
  • Easy installation: Installing a home sprinkler system in a home under construction or being remodeled requires a little extra piping and labor and greatly increases the safety of residents.
  • Low water requirement: Home fire sprinklers can be connected to the home water supply. They require less water than business and industrial systems.
  • Lower insurance: Installing a sprinkler system has the potential to lower insurance rates by 5-15 percent by meeting code requirements.

Quick Tips to Share

Spread the word by sharing these graphics with your family and friends! We encourage you to print these and also share on social media.

Information provided by the U.S. Fire Administration.

https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/home-fires/prepare-for-fire/home-fire-sprinklers/

]]> Escape Planning https://www.ovfc28.org/escape-planning/ Mon, 01 Jul 2024 20:00:34 +0000 http://www.ovfc28.org/?p=9750

HAVE A PLAN AND PRACTICE IT.

Your ability to get out depends on advance warning from smoke alarms and advance planning.

Fire can spread rapidly through your home, leaving you as little as one or two minutes to escape safely once the alarm sounds. Pull together everyone in your household and make a plan. Walk through your home and inspect all possible exits and escape routes. Households with children should consider drawing a floor plan of your home, marking two ways out of each room, including windows and doors. Also, mark the location of each smoke alarm. Here are some tips for helping you with your home fire escape plan!

Fire drills are important for all homes, including apartment buildings and other high-rise structures. You need to know the basics of escape planning, from identifying two ways out of every room to getting low and going under smoke, and the importance of practicing how you would respond in an emergency. Be aware that sometimes the safest thing you can do in a tall building fire is to stay put and wait for the firefighters.

To increase fire safety for apartment dwellers, NFPA offers the following guidelines:

Know the Plan

Make sure that you’re familiar with your building’s evacuation plan, which should illustrate what residents are supposed to do in the event of an emergency. The evacuation plan should be posted in places where all residents can see and review it, and the building management should hold a fire drill with occupants at least once a year. Most states also require that buildings periodically test their fire safety systems as well.  Be sure to participate when your building drills take place. When looking for an apartment or high-rise home, look for one with an automatic sprinkler system. Sprinklers can extinguish a home fire in less time that it takes for the fire department to arrive.

Whether your building has one floor or 50, it’s essential that you and your family are prepared to respond to a fire alarm. Identify all of the exits in your building and if you are using an escape planning grid, mark them on your escape plan. Make sure to mark the various stairways too, in case one is blocked by fire.

In case of fire, always use the stairs to get out, never the elevator. Make sure to practice using the stairs as part of your escape plan. If someone in your family has difficulty climbing down steps, make sure to incorporate a contingency for this into your plan.

Smoke from a fire is toxic and deadly no matter what kind of structure you live in. When you hold your fire drill, everyone in the family should practice getting low and going under the smoke to the exit. In the event of a fire, if both stairwells are filled with smoke, stay in your apartment and wait for the firefighters.

If you can’t exit an apartment building due to smoke or fire in the hallway, call the fire department to report your exact location and gather in a room with a window to await their arrival. Close all doors between you and the fire. Use duct tape or towels to create a seal around the door and over air vents in order to keep smoke from coming in.

If possible, you should open your windows at the top and the bottom so fresh air can get in. Don’t break the window – if smoke enters the room from outside the building, you won’t be able to protect yourself.

Wave a flashlight or light colored cloth at the window to let the fire department know where you are located.

Make Every Second Count! – Helpful Hints

  • Draw a map of your home by using grid paper with all members of your household, marking two exits from each room and a path to the outside from each exit.
  • Practice your home fire drill twice a year. Conduct one at night and one during the day with everyone in your home, and practice using different ways out.
  • Teach children how to escape on their own in case you can’t help them.
  • Make sure the number of your home is clearly marked and easy for the fire department to find.
  • Close doors behind you as you leave – this may slow the spread of smoke, heat, and fire.
  • Once you get outside, stay outside. Never go back inside a burning building.

Quick Tips to Share

Spread the word by sharing these graphics with your family and friends! We encourage you to print these and also share on social media.

Information provided by the U.S. Fire Administration.

https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/home-fires/prepare-for-fire/home-fire-escape-plans/

]]> Fire Extinguishers https://www.ovfc28.org/fire-extinguishers/ Mon, 01 Jul 2024 19:30:57 +0000 http://www.ovfc28.org/?p=9743

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS SAVE LIFES AND PROPERTY.

A portable fire extinguisher can save lives and property by putting out a small fire or containing it until the fire department arrives; but portable extinguishers have limitations. Because fire grows and spreads so rapidly, the #1 priority for residents is to get out safely. Here are some things you need to know about choosing and using fire extinguishers!

How To Use a Fire Extinguisher

Use a fire extinguisher when all of these questions are answered “yes.” If you’re unsure about whether or not it’s safe to use a fire extinguisher, and for all other situations, alert others, leave the building, and call 911 from a mobile or neighbor’s phone. It is not recommended that children use fire extinguishers.

When operating a fire extinguisher, tell remember the word PASS.

    1. Pull the pin. Hold the extinguisher with the nozzle pointing away from you and release the locking mechanism.
    2. Aim low. Point the extinguisher at the base of the fire.
    3. Squeeze the lever slowly and evenly.
    4. Sweep the nozzle from side-to-side.

Remember to Check Your Fire Extinguisher For

  • Easy access in an emergency - be sure nothing is blocking or limiting your ability to reach it.
  • The recommended pressure level - many extinguishers have gauges that show when pressure is too high or too low.
  • Working parts - make sure the can, hoses and nozzles aren’t damaged, dented, or rusted.
  • Cleanliness - remove any dust, oil, or grease that might be on the outside of the extinguisher.
  • Guidelines and instructions - some extinguishers need to be shaken monthly, others need to be pressure tested every few years.

When to Use a Fire Extinguisher

Fire extinguishers can be helpful on a small fire. Below is a checklist to help you prepare to use a fire extinguisher.
  • Be on alert! If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol don’t use the stove or stovetop.
  • Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, boiling or broiling food.
  • If you are simmering, baking or roasting food, check it regularly, remain in the kitchen while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
  • Keep anything that can catch fire — oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains — away from your stovetop.

More Fire Extinguisher Tips

  • For the home, select a multi-purpose extinguisher (can be used on all types of home fires) that is large enough to put out a small fire, but not so heavy as to be difficult to handle.
  • Choose a fire extinguisher that carries the label of an independent testing laboratory.
  • Read the instructions that come with the fire extinguisher and become familiar with its parts and operation before a fire breaks out. Local fire departments or fire equipment distributors often offer hands-on fire extinguisher trainings.
  • Install fire extinguishers close to an exit and keep your back to a clear exit when you use the device so you can make an easy escape if the fire cannot be controlled. If the room fills with smoke, leave immediately.

Quick Tips to Share

Spread the word by sharing these graphics with your family and friends! We encourage you to print these and also share on social media.

Information provided by the U.S. Fire Administration.

https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/home-fires/

]]> Carbon Monoxide https://www.ovfc28.org/carbon-monoxide/ Mon, 01 Jul 2024 19:15:35 +0000 http://www.ovfc28.org/?p=9719

CO, THE INVISIBLE KILLER FOR A REASON.

Although the popularity of carbon monoxide (CO) alarms has been growing in recent years, it cannot be assumed that everyone is familiar with the hazards of carbon monoxide poisoning in the home.

Often called the invisible killer, carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas created when fuels (such as gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil, and methane) burn incompletely. In the home, heating and cooking equipment that burn fuel are potential sources of carbon monoxide. Vehicles or generators running in an attached garage can also produce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide.

carbon-monoxide

Carbon Monoxide Facts and Stats

  • The dangers of CO exposure depend on a number of variables, including the victim’s health and activity level. Infants, pregnant women, and people with physical conditions that limit their body’s ability to use oxygen (i.e. emphysema, asthma, heart disease) can be more severely affected by lower concentrations of CO than healthy adults would be.
  • A person can be poisoned by a small amount of CO over a longer period of time or by a large amount of CO over a shorter amount of time.
  • In 2016, local fire departments responded to an estimated 79,600 carbon monoxide incidents, or an average of nine such calls per hour. This does not include the 91,400 carbon monoxide alarm malfunctions and the 68,000 unintentional carbon monoxide alarms.
  • Data from the Center of Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) National Center for Health Statistics shows that in 2017, 399 people died of unintentional non-fire carbon monoxide poisoning.

Carbon Monoxide Safety Tips

  • CO alarms should be installed in a central location outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home and in other locations where required by applicable laws, codes or standards. For the best protection, interconnect all CO alarms throughout the home. When one sounds, they all sound.
  • Choose a CO alarm that has the label of a recognized testing laboratory.
  • Call your local fire department’s non-emergency number to find out what number to call if the CO alarm sounds.
  • If the CO alarm sounds, immediately move to a fresh air location outdoors or by an open window or door. Make sure everyone inside the home is accounted for. Call for help from a fresh air location and stay there until emergency personnel.
  • If you need to warm a vehicle, remove it from the garage immediately after starting it. Do not run a vehicle or other fueled engine or motor indoors, even if garage doors are open. Make sure the exhaust pipe of a running vehicle is not covered with snow.
  • During and after a snowstorm, make sure vents for the dryer, furnace, stove, and fireplace are clear of snow build-up.
  • Gas or charcoal grills can produce CO — only use outside.

Know the Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Because CO is odorless, colorless, and otherwise undetectable to the human senses, people may not know that they are being exposed. The initial symptoms of low to moderate CO poisoning are similar to the flu (but without the fever). They include:

  • Headache
  • Fatigue
  • Shortness of Breath
  • Nausea
  • Dizziness

Quick Tips to Share

Spread the word by sharing these graphics with your family and friends! We encourage you to print these and also share on social media.

Information provided by the U.S. Fire Administration and the National Fire Protection Association.

https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/life-safety-hazards/carbon-monoxide/

https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/home-fire-safety/carbon-monoxide

]]> Smoke Alarms https://www.ovfc28.org/smoke-alarms/ Mon, 01 Jul 2024 19:00:28 +0000 http://www.ovfc28.org/?p=9757

SMOKE ALARMS SAVE LIVES.

Smoke alarms that are properly installed and maintained play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries. If there is a fire in your home, smoke spreads fast and you need smoke alarms to give you time to get out.

>> Did you know that most home fire deaths happen when people are asleep between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.? Don’t let this happen to you. Keep your family safe by installing smoke alarms and testing them monthly to make sure they work.

Smoke Alarm Safety – Facts and Stats

  • Roughly three out of five fire deaths happen in homes with either no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
  • More than one-third (38 percent) of home fire deaths result from fires in which no smoke alarms are present.
  • The risk of dying in a home fire is cut in half in homes with working smoke alarms.
  • Smoke alarms sense smoke well before you can, alerting you to danger.

Smoke Alarm Safety Tips

  • A closed door may slow the spread of smoke, heat and fire. Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room and outside each separate sleeping area. Install alarms on every level of the home.
  • Smoke alarms should be interconnected. When one sounds, they all sound.
  • Large homes may need extra smoke alarms.
  • Test your smoke alarms at least once a month. Press the test button to be sure the alarm is working.
  • There are two kinds of alarms. Ionization smoke alarms are quicker to warn about flaming fires. Photoelectric alarms are quicker to warn about smoldering fires. It is best to use of both types of alarms in the home.
  • When a smoke alarm sounds, get outside and stay outside.
  • Replace all smoke alarms in your home every 10 years.
  • Smoke alarms are not expensive and are worth the lives they can help save.
  • A  smoke alarm with a dead or missing battery is the same as having no smoke alarm at all. A smoke alarm only works when it is properly installed and regularly tested. Take care of your smoke alarms according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Smoke Alarms – FAQs

There are many brands of smoke alarms on the market, but they fall under two basic types: ionization and photoelectric. Ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms detect different types of fires. Since no one can predict what type of fire might start in their home, the USFA recommends that every home and place where people sleep have:

  • Both ionization AND photoelectric smoke alarms. OR
  • Dual sensor smoke alarms, which contain both ionization and photoelectric smoke sensors.

Choose interconnected smoke alarms, so when one sounds, they all sound.There are also alarms for people with hearing loss. These alarms may have strobe lights that flash and/or vibrate to alert those who are unable to hear standard smoke alarms when they sound.
Smoke alarms are not expensive and are worth the lives they can help save.

Alarm type and cost
  • Ionization and photoelectric: $6+, the most popular brand, Kiddy, start around $20.
  • Dual sensor: $24+
  • Smoke alarms with a microprocessor (faster to alert, fewer false alarms): $30+
  • Radio frequency/wireless (communicate from one to the next without wires): $40+

Your city, county or state may require a specific type of alarm. Please check with your local fire marshal for information on what type of alarm you need. Some fire departments offer reduced-price, or even free, smoke alarms. Contact your local fire department’s non-emergency phone number for more information.
Smoke alarms are powered by battery or by your home’s electrical system. If the smoke alarm is powered by battery, it runs on either a disposable 9-volt battery or a non-replaceable 10-year lithium (“long-life”) battery.

Alarms that get power from your home’s electrical system, or “hardwired,” usually have a back-up battery that will need to be replaced once a year.
Remember, a closed door may slow the spread of smoke, heat and fire.

Put smoke alarms:
  •  Inside and outside of each bedroom and sleeping area.
  • On every level of the home.

For added safety:
  • Smoke alarms should be interconnected. When one sounds, they all sound.
  • Place smoke alarms on the ceiling or high on the wall. Check the manufacturer’s instructions for the best place for your alarm.
  • Only qualified electricians should install hardwired smoke alarms.

Some fire departments will install battery-operated smoke alarms in your home at no cost. Contact your local fire department’s non-emergency phone number for more information.
Never take the battery out of your smoke alarm while cooking! If a smoke alarm sounds while you’re cooking or taking a shower with lots of steam, do not remove the battery.

You should:
  • Open a window or door and press the “hush” button.
  • Wave a towel at the alarm to clear the air.
  • Move the entire alarm several feet away from the kitchen or bathroom.

Disabling a smoke alarm or removing the battery can be a deadly mistake.

Is your smoke alarm still working?

A smoke alarm with a dead or missing battery is the same as having no smoke alarm at all. A smoke alarm only works when it is properly installed and regularly tested. Take care of your smoke alarms according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Below are some general maintenance tips.

Smoke alarm powered by a 9-volt battery

  • Test the alarm monthly.
  • Replace the batteries at least once every year.
  • Replace the entire smoke alarm every 10 years.

 

Smoke alarm powered by a 10-year lithium (or “long-life”) battery

  • Test the alarm monthly.
  • Since you cannot (and should not) replace the lithium battery, replace the entire smoke alarm according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

 

Smoke alarm that is hardwired into your home’s electrical system

  • Test the alarm monthly.
  • Replace the backup battery at least once every year.
  • Replace the entire smoke alarm every 10 years.

 

Did you know dust and cobwebs can interfere with the sensors in a smoke alarm? To help prevent this, you should try to vacuum the alarms in your home if you can safely reach them. It is not recommended to used compressed air cans. The force and moisture created can damage the alarm.

Quick Tips to Share

Spread the word by sharing these graphics with your family and friends! We encourage you to print these and also share on social media.

Learn the Sounds
Smoke Alarms Disability Safety Tips
Smoke Alarms
Dont Wait Check the Date (English)
Dont Wait Check the Date (English)
No Espere Verifique la Fecha
No Espere Verifique la Fecha
Hear the Beep Where You Sleep (English)
Hear the Beep Where You Sleep
Escuche el Bip donde Duerme
Escuche el Bip donde Duerme

Information provided by the U.S. Fire Administration and the National Fire Protection Association.

https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/home-fires/prepare-for-fire/smoke-alarms/

https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/home-fire-safety/smoke-alarms

]]> Close Before You Doze! https://www.ovfc28.org/close-before-you-doze/ Mon, 01 Jul 2024 18:45:10 +0000 http://www.ovfc28.org/?p=2494

WHY CLOSE YOUR DOOR BEFORE BED?

Because fires have become more dangerous than ever.

Modern synthetic construction materials, home furnishings, and contemporary layouts allow fire to spread and become toxic much faster – like three minutes or less to get out faster.

But a closed door can slow the spread, reduce toxic smoke levels, improve oxygen levels and decrease temperatures dramatically – and that could make a life-saving difference in your home.

Did you know?

  • A closed door can isolate the fire’s flow, reduce room temperatures and keep carbon monoxide levels down.
  • Using thermal imaging cameras, researchers found that closed-door rooms on both floors (1st and 2nd) during the fire’s spread had average temperatures of less than 100 degrees Fahrenheit versus 1000+ degrees in the open-door rooms.
  • Furnishings, open layout, and construction materials of modern homes allow the fire to spread and become more toxic much faster.

Quick Tips to Share

Spread the word by sharing these videos and links with your family and friends! We encourage you to also share on social media.

Information provided by the Fire Safety Research Institute.

https://closeyourdoor.org/first-responders/about

https://fsri.org/programs/close-before-you-doze

]]> Pool and Swimming https://www.ovfc28.org/pool-and-swimming/ Mon, 01 Jul 2024 16:02:31 +0000 http://www.ovfc28.org/?p=10262

DROWNING AND ENTRAPMENT PREVENTION

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that each year nearly 300 children younger than five drown in swimming pools and spas and an additional 4,000 children that age go to hospital emergency rooms due to submersion injuries in pools and spas. 

Stay Close, Be Alert and Watch

  • Always watch children and never leave them unattended .
  • Keep children away from pool drains, pipes and other openings.
  • Have a charged phone close by at all times .
  • If a child is missing, check the pool first.
  • Share safety instructions with family, friends and neighbors.
  • Even if a lifeguard is present, parents and caregivers should still take the responsibility of being a designated Water Watcher.
water-lifeguard

Have the appropriate equipment

Adopt and practice as many safety steps as possible. Adding an extra safety step around the water can make all the difference. You never know which safety step will save a life – UNTIL IT DOES.

  • Install a fence of at least four feet in height around the perimeter of the pool or spa.
  • Use self-closing and self-latching gates.
  • Ensure all pools and spas have compliant drain covers.
  • Install an alarm on the door leading from the house to the pool.
  • Keep pool and spa covers in working order .
  • Have life-saving equipment such as life rings or reaching poles available for use.

avoid drain entrapments

Entrapment caused by powerful suction from a pool or spa’s drain can trap a child or adult. Do not use a pool or spa if there are flat, broken or missing drain covers. Public pool and spa owners should have their facilities inspected by a licensed professional engineer and install Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (P&SSAct) compliant covers.

  • Hair entanglement: hair can get caught in a faulty drain cover.
  • Limbs: arms, legs and fingers can become lodged in a suction opening.
  • Body: any body part that can cover a drain can be held down by suction.
  • Evisceration: sitting on a faulty drain can cause injuries or disembowelment.
  • Mechanical: jewelry or bathing suits can become entangled in a faulty drain cover.

Quick Tips to Share

Spread the word by sharing these graphics with your family and friends! We encourage you to print these and also share on social media.

always pool safely english
Pool Safety
always pool safely spanish
Seguridad en la Piscina

Information provided by the U.S. Fire Administration and Pool Safely.

https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/life-safety-hazards/pools-and-swimming/

https://www.poolsafely.gov/

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