| Homepage | Web Directory | Article Directory | Bid Directory |
Articles. News. Information. | |
Category of Information, News & Articles |
|
|
|
Summer Marks the Time to Remember Active Supervision Around Family Swimming Pools
LOS ANGELES (May 19, 2005) - With Memorial Day weekend, and summer fast approaching, EMS, first responders, and water safety advocates, are bracing for the unthinkable - the unfortunate drowning accidents in backyard swimming pools that annually claim the lives of nearly 500 children under the age of five, and an estimated 2,800 "near-drowning" incidents.1 The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports, for every child who drowns, six more children are involved in "near-drowning" incidents - accidents that can lead to permanent neurological damage, life-long disabilities, and leaving the parents with catastrophic medical costs and years of recovery and therapy. "The family swimming pool is supposed to be the center of fun and recreation," said Todd Appleman, president and founder of www.eSafetyAlert.com, a safety products company that offers the one-of-a-kind Safety Turtle® immersion alarm that sets off a piercing siren the instant a child falls into the water. "The problem is swimming pools are very dangerous for young children, particularly toddlers. Drowning is the leading cause of death for children under five and is the second leading cause of death for children under 14." Appleman feels so strongly about helping to prevent drowning incidents, in 2004 he launched an educational website, www.PoolSafetyNetwork.org featuring information about swimming pool safety and numerous links to respected government and non-profit sources. "We have a long way to go in educating the public," said Appleman. "Despite extensive local public awareness efforts, and well-funded national public education campaigns aimed at teaching parents, grandparents, and other adults about pool safety and active adult supervision, the number of children drowning each year has remained constant." "I am very concerned about child safety on two levels," said Appleman. "First, parents and adults are not getting the message, or they are not practicing what they know. Second, the exposure for more of these tragedies to occur is daunting as the swimming pool industry continues to grow at a rapid pace." Pool and Spa Industry Growing 11.4 Percent "The swimming pool and hot tub industry is now a booming $20 billion industry - and it is growing - 11.4 percent in just the past two years," said Appleman. Citing 2004 data recently released by the National Pool and Spa Institute (NPSI), Appleman added, "There are 7.6 million backyard swimming pools in the U.S. and 6.4 million residential hot tubs. This translates into 14.7 million points of exposure." NPSI reports 4.6 million of the nation's residential swimming pools are in-ground structures, a 7.8 % increase since 2002, and 3.7 million swimming pools are above-ground, an 11.6 % increase since 2002. The number of hot tubs and spas has soared from 5.6 million units in 2002, to 6.4 million in 2004, a 14 % increase in two years. Education and Awareness Still Lacking "At the same time, public education and awareness programs have not had the impact that safety experts had hoped for," said Appleman. "We need to be more effective in reaching parents with the messages about active parental supervision and precautions known as 'layers of protection' - the barriers that pool owners can put in place to help minimize the danger." This gap in awareness, and lack of action among parents, became acutely apparent in 2003 when www.eSafetyAlert.com, and Terrapin Communications, the company that designed and markets Safety Turtle, commissioned Harris Interactive to conduct a national poll among adults regarding pool safety and the precautions that can minimize drowning tragedies. Only 19 percent of the parents that responded were aware that drowning is the leading cause of accidental death among children under five. Even worse, only 41 percent of the respondents said they have CPSC recommended "layers of protection" installed around their pools. Layers of Protection Layers of protection start with a door chime alarm that sounds when doors leading to the pool area are opened. Most importantly, ASTM-standard fences that completely surround the swimming pool with self-closing access gates equipped with a child-proof alarms are essential. Other layers of protection include an automatic or retracting pool safety cover, and an ASTM approved pool alarm.2 "Barriers help keep children from entering the pool area, or the pool," said Appleman. "While these layers of protection are crucial for any home where children are present, an alarm such as Safety Turtle, introduced in 1998, is what we consider the 'last line of defense.' Should a child find a way into the pool or spa, an alarm sounds the instant the wristband sensor makes contact with the water." Research conducted in Arizona indicates the number of drowning incidents in a relative or neighbor's pool grew from 23 percent in 2002 to 41 percent in 2003.3 This suggests parents need to be extra vigilant whenever visiting homes with swimming pools that may not have layers of protection. "We are concerned that 41 percent of pool owners are either unaware of what they should be doing to protect children, or they are simply not taking the threat seriously enough," said Robert Lyons, president of Terrapin Communications, and inventor of Safety Turtle. "We commissioned the Harris poll with the hope of educating parents about the ever present danger a pool poses to young children. A serious accident can unfold in seconds. Many children drown within a few feet of their parents when they speaking on the phone or attending a sibling. They make no sound, and once in the water are not easily visible." Active Adult Supervision Is Essential Parents should never leave their child unattended even for a moment. Drowning is considered a "silent death." According to many studies, in most cases (90%)4, one or more supervising adults were near-by when the child drowns. Even seconds count in near-drowning incidents." For example: * If the child is under water for more than 45 seconds, the victim will require medical assistance. * After two minutes underwater, the child will lose consciousness and will need emergency medical treatment. About one-third of the children who are comatose when EMS first responders arrive, will suffer some level of neurological damage. * After five minutes, the child will need CPR and may have irreversible neurological brain damage. Medical costs for these victims can be $75,000 for initial emergency room treatment and as much as $230,000 annually for long-term care. Medical costs can exceed $5 million. About 15 percent of these victims ultimately die. * Only about 10 percent of children who are found underwater after 10 minutes survive.5 Safety Turtle For Pets Though largely unreported, accidental drowning of family pets in residential swimming pools is common. Pet advocacy organizations believe up to 5,000 family pets perish in swimming pools each year. "Both the numbers, and the circumstances of the pet drowning stories I have learned of over five years, leave me with no doubt," said Lyons. "With a half million new swimming pools being built each year, the risk is growing. There are roughly 58 million dogs and 62 million cats in North America. If 5,000 pets are drowning each year, action is long overdue." Although healthy dogs and cats can swim short distances, escape from a pool may be a life and death struggle. Barking is sometimes difficult once the dog is in the water. The untrained animal instinctively heads for the nearest edge of the pool and tries to claw its way out. Panic quickly leads to exhaustion. While animals can be trained to go the shallow end, or the steps, climbing to safety may be impossible for smaller animals. Vinyl-liner pools offer no grip to the animal, and often include only a vertical ladder, which is nearly impossible for most pets to climb. About eSafetyAlert.com and Safety Turtle® eSafetyAlert.com is an official reseller of the Safety Turtle6 alarm, the only system of its kind that alerts parents and/or pet owners when a child or pet falls into the pool or any water hazard such as a koi pond, stream, or in the water at a lake cottage. Considered to be the last line of defense, Safety Turtle consists of one AC-powered Base Station that supports one or more Turtle wristbands of the same color which lock snuggly on a child's wrist with a "child-proof" key, or they can be attached to a pet's collar. If the child or pet falls into the water, the Turtle sensor sends a signal to Base Station which sounds a siren that continues until the system is reset. A mobile battery pack is also available to power the Base Station where AC is not available, e.g., at a shoreline, on a boat, or by a hotel pool. Information about Safety Turtle is available at www.eSafetyAlert.com. For more information about pool safety, visit www.PoolSafetyNetwork.org or call 1-800-892-9551. # # # 1 Centers for Disease Control, The Consumer Protect Safety Commission 2 The Association of Pool and Spa Professionals, The National Pool and Spa Institute, The Consumer Products Safety Commission, ASTM International 3 National Safe Kids Campaign Study 4 Children's Safety Zone, Arizona 5 American Pediatrics Association 6 Safety Turtle has been tested by the Consumer Products Safety Commission and The Good Housekeeping Institute Todd Appleman is the founder of http://www.eSafetyAlert.com and PoolSafetyNetwork.org, a non-commercial web site dedicated to providing information and educational resources about water safety and drowning prevention. PoolSafetyNetwork.org is a collaborative effort made possible through a network of concerned individuals who share a common goal of preventing drowning incidents and the debilitating injuries that often result from near-drowning accidents. Mr. Appleman founded The Appleman Group in 2000. With more than 20 years of experience as a communications strategist, Appleman has managed and directed a range of highly successful marketing and communications campaigns, public education programs and serves as a volunteer with numerous environmental and healthcare-related organizations. In addition to his advocacy in the area of drowning prevention, Mr. Appleman, and his firm, The Appleman Group, serves a range of clients in the health-care and technology arenas. Many of the programs under Mr. Appleman's direction have been honored by with a number of communications awards.
MORE RESOURCES:
Parenting - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Are You Frustrated With Public Schools? Join a growing number of parents and teachers!Fact: Last year, our nation spent over $382 Billion on education. Over 99% was spent on developing "learning environments" - buildings, books, science labs, teachers, sports programs, etc. Creating Great Birthday Party Videos My son recently had his third birthday party and it was mayhem. There were kids all over the place doing all sorts of funny things with parents following them around trying to prevent the next catastrophe. ParentingYour Teenager: Dont Buy the I Dont Know and I Dont Care Attitude "I don't know and I don't care."I've heard those words more than a few times in my office. Choosing the Perfect Jogging Stroller When choosing the perfect jogging stroller, a very important question to ask yourself is whether you want a swivel or fixed wheel. The benefit of choosing a jogging stroller with a fixed wheel is that it will offer the stability and straight tracking that you will require. How to Silence Your Childs Inner Critic Children do what feels good to them and follow their natural instincts. Well meaning parents teach children that it is not socially acceptable to behave in certain ways, thus going against a child's natural inclinations. Mutants or Clones? In a single dose of children's television, I was bombarded with themes of mutants, cyborgs, evolving and the digital world. These words intimidated me at first, until I learned what the shows were talking about. The Long Journey Home Once upon a time, I thought I had it all. I had a child, a career, the world at my feet. Helping Your Child Make and Keep Friends What Children Look for in a Friend?Is this child fun to be with? Is this child trustworthy? Does this child help me achieve my goals? Does this child make me feel good about myself? Is this child similar to me?Social Tasks Involved in Peer RelationshipsJoining a group or activity Coping with success Dealing with conflict Defending self Coping with failure Staying involved Making a friend Sharing/cooperating Sticking up for a friend Coping with rejection Responding to requests Making requests Helping others Maintaining a conversation Coping with teasing Being supportive of othersAlthough rejected children differ in many ways, there does seem to be something they have in common:A large proportion of rejected children are lacking in positive interaction skills, such as being cooperative, helpful, refining non-verbal communication, timing, spatial awareness, verbal language appropriateness and inappropriate dress or poor personal hygiene. This suggests that it should be possible to help these children by teaching them positive ways to interact with others. Back to School Feng Shui Every school year parents and students dutifully trudge through the malls in search of the perfect sneaker or the cool new outfit for the coming school year. However, it's unlikely that the new shoe or shirt will benefit them as much as a new design in the bedroom. Develop Your Childs Genius - Developing Leadership Qualities Often I have heard that leaders are born, not made. Do you think this is true? How many times did you read a biography of a great leader, and discovered that as a child, he has been quiet, reserved and rather shy? Are those natural qualities of a leader? Of course not! These people have developed their leadership qualities later in life. Theres Never a Bad Time To Start Helping To Spread The Word of God Q. What's the right age to start giving a Bible quiz to my child?A. 7 Ways to Survive the Start of the School Year It happens every year. Just when you are settled in to the lazy days of summer, you are startled to find Back to School catalogs in your mailbox and bikinis going on sale in favor of turtlenecks. Examining Drugs for ADHD, Particularly Strattera In memory of 14 year old Matthew Smith; 11 year old Stephanie Hall; and 10 year old Shaina Dunkle and other children who have died from the use of psychotropic drugs for "ADHD".The Eli Lilly company has been marketing a new drug for those who are labeled as ADHD known as Strattera. More than Mom and Dad Love, love, love. It makes the world go round. Spending Time With Your Child Why Is Spending Time with Your Child So Important?For children to get any sense that they are loved and wanted, you have to be prepared to spend some time with them. I know you are all thinking, so tell me something I don't know. Finding Out Your Child Has a Disability: Its Not the end of the World Finding out that a child has been born with a disability, or that a previously healthy child has suffered an injury or disease that causes a disability can be the most traumatic moment in a parent's life. Shock is usually the first thing people experience. Childs Play: Treating The Insanity of the Mental Health System In today's mental health system there is a pattern of fraud and coercion that takes way the freedoms and dignity of children and their families. Children are receiving stigmatizing labels and being prescribed psychotropic drugs with many untoward effects. Caretaking Parents, Entitled Kids Demanding children - children who have entitlement issues - seem to be common these days. Like the obnoxious child, Veruca Salt in Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory, who was constantly demanding that her father get her whatever she wanted ("I want an Umpa Lumpa! Get it for me NOW!"), we hear many children today uttering the fairly constant refrain, "I want ?. Choosing a Daycare or Pre-School - Top Ten Safety Tips When it's time to put your child into a daycare or pre-school, there is some homework involved. Here are the top ten safety tips that are useful when looking for a pre-school or daycare center. Teaching Children Good Manners Last week in my newsletter, I mentioned that my children knew how to behave in nice restaurants because they had been exposed to the atmosphere at an early age. My idea of well behaved might be different from yours, however, I think there are certain basics that are important and universal.
|
| Home | Sitemap | |
| © 2006 eInfoJunction.com | Homepage | Web Directory | Article Directory| Bid Directory |
