Robert Erwin, owner of Aloha Pool and Spa, spent two afternoons this week teaching swim lesson participants and their parents about the latest in pool safety at Siltanen Family Swim Center, while also signing them up for a free CPR class.
Erwin, the Monterey Bay chapter president of the national Independent Pool and Spa Service Association, led the educational charge as a service during May, National Water Safety Month in the United States.
“We all go to lakes, ponds and pools,” Erwin said. “If one person out of 20 knows CPR, all 20 people are better off for it.”
Erwin encourages pool owners to learn CPR and find out more about a recent county law that requires pool owners in the unincorporated parts of the county to have a barrier around any pool, such as a fence, and also establishes various other regulations on drainage and filtration systems.
The complete ordinance can be found on the Santa Cruz County Planning website, www.sccoplanning.com.
Erwin said many people do not keep up on pool safety until they have a home inspection or apply for a permit to upgrade their home.
Erwin will have a booth at the Fourth of July fireworks celebration at Skypark and will take sign-ups then for a low-cost CPR course.
Tips for backyard pool owners
Pools, lakes and streams can be fun places to cool off in the summer, but they can also be fraught with danger. The Independent Pool and Spa Service Association offers several tips to keep both children and adults safe during the hot season.
When the pool is being used
• Maintain constant visual contact with children when they are in and around the water.
• Do not allow diving from the sides or shallow ends of the pool.
• Keep a telephone nearby, and in case of an emergency, immediately dial 9-1-1.
• Keep toys, especially tricycles and other wheeled toys, away from the pool. Also, remove inflatable toys from the water after each use.
• Do not allow swimming in an unlighted pool at night.
When the pool is not in use
• Make sure all gates and doors that lead to the pool area are self-closing and self-latching, with latches above a child’s reach.
• Restrict children’s access to the pool when they can’t be supervised properly.
• Drain standing water from pool covers.
• Keep chairs and other items children can climb onto away from pool fences and gates.
Be prepared
• Teach all children older than 3 to swim.
• Parents, baby sitters and anyone in the family older than 14 should know CPR and update their skills each year.
• Teach children how and when to dial 9-1-1.
• Have a professional pool technician perform a safety inspection.
• Want to learn more? Visit www.poolsafety.gov.
At a glance
• Adults and children can sign up for low-cost CPR classes by calling Robert Erwin at Aloha Pool and Spa, 438-7575.
