In the following are just a few facts uncovered by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in a comprehensive study of drowning and submersion incidents involving children under 5 years old in Arizona, California, and Florida;

Seventy-five percent of the submersion victims studied by CPSC were between 1 and 3 years old; 65 percent of this group were boys. Toddlers, in particular, often do something unexpected because their capabilities change daily. 

At the time of the incidents, most victims were being supervised by one or both parents. Forty-six percent of the victims were last seen in the house; 23 percent were last seen in the yard or on the porch or patio; and 31 percent were in or around the pool before the accident. In all, 69 percent of the children were not expected to be at or in the pool, yet they were found in the water. 

Submersion incidents involving children usually happen in familiar surroundings. Sixty-five percent of the incidents happened in a pool owned by the child’s family and 33 percent of the incidents happened in a pool owned by friends or relatives. 

Pool submersions involving children happen quickly. A child can drown in the time it takes to answer a phone. Seventy-seven percent of the victims had been missing from sight for 5 minutes or less. 

Survival depends on rescuing the child quickly and restarting the breathing process, even while the child is still in the water. Seconds count in preventing death or brain damage. 

Child drowning is a silent death. There’s no splashing to alert anyone that the child is in trouble. 

There are several ways of preventing this needless loss of life. Here is the list:

1. Barriers include a fence or wall
2. Door alarms which can be Battery and electrically powered from the home
3. A power safety cover is a motor powered barrier that can be placed over the water area. Motor-driven covers easily open and close over the pool
4. Lastly, just make sure there is someone that knows how to swim, be on site. If you have children, it could be an adult that is just stationed at the pool. To be there to notice if anyone is having trouble in the pool and can be saved in an instant is a great peace of mind!

Just remember that if you own a pool, you "own the responsibility" of keeping it safe!

Soon summer will arrive and that is the time when school is out for the kids, families go out for vacations, we tend to spend more time outside in our backyard pool, we drive to our local parks for sporting events, we drive to attend outdoor festivals.

All the activities or situations mentioned above is exposing all of us to unique risks. We could get a sports related injury playing volleyball at the park; there could be a near drowning in our backyard pool. We could trip and fall while attending our favorite arts and crafts festival. We might end up in a fender-bender with another car on the streets while starting out on our vacation.

Because of these additional risks we are putting ourselves into during the summer months, it is important to make a checklist of our important contact imformation such as our insurance agent, our AAA emergency card in case of road services we may need, medical bracelets or information to alert medical personnel that will need to know this information if we get hurt, a good contact of a close relative or friend in case of emergency. Also, when traveling, think of emergency first aid kits and maps of the travel area you will be using.

Thinking ahead to have valuable information available will greatly give you peace of mind that you are ready for anything, especially during  the summer months. We are more mobile during this season. Care must be taken when going anywhere or planning travel trips.

Lastly, make sure you are current on all insurance premiums! You don’t want to be without insurance at a time when you “forgot” or “put off” paying your premium!!

Have a safe and enjoyable summer!

For any question on insurance coverage, whether it is homeowners, auto and commercial, call Doug Seide at 480-443-1952.

At this time in the USA, we are entering the Labor Day holidays. Make sure you stay safe this holiday weekend.

If you go boating and swimming, remember to stay aware of your surroundings. It is so easy to get caught up in having fun while being distracted on a boat and possibly colliding with another boat or object. When swimming, always be aware of other swimmers and call for help immediately if you see anyone in trouble in the water. Knowing CPR is a Godsend if you happen to be at the right place at the right time.

Remember to drive safely when on the roads. There are a lot of crazy drivers out there! Keep your cell phone handy in case of emergencies. If you go camping, remember to always double and triple check your campfires when leaving…..make sure they are out, cold!

If you are staying at home for the holidays and have a pool, well you know the drill…..”watch your kids around water!”

We wish you and all your families a wonderful and safe holiday weekend.

During the hot summer months, it sure is refreshing to dive into your own personal pool. Many homes nowadays have pools and that means summer time fun. It is also a time when children are attracted to jump in and have fun as well. The unfortunate fact is that way too many children die in accidental drownings. This does not have to be a statistic in your home if you follow some basic common sense tips.

The Arizona Insurance Council wants to make sure  you take a layered approach to protection between your home and pool. “A pool fence with self-closing self latching gates and a door alarm that sounds when the door is opened from the inside are easy cost effective addition to what you already may have,” suggests Ron Williams, executive director of the AIC.

According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, 25 children died in 2007 alone from drowning, another 167 children were hospitalized or seen in an emergency department for a non fatal drowning. For the first half of 2009 alone, there have been over 20 cases of drowning or near drownings and three of those were fatal. (taken from Drowning Coalition of Arizona)

Other ways to keep children safe around water:

1. Always make sure doors, gates, even pet doors that lead to the pool area are secure.
2. Teach children to swim early on. Classes are offered for children as young as one year old.
3. Keep toys away from the pool and spa areas and secure spas with child proof covers.
4. Parents, take the phone with you out by the pool so you can call 911 immediately if needed.

If we just take common sense steps to prevent drownings, we can dramatically reduce the number of drowning cases and enjoy a safe and fun summer!