How are you planning to keep cool during this week's extremely warm weather? I am planning on spending the majority of my time in my pool with my 2 young boys, family and friends. I love the convenience of having a pool in my backyard, but it has its risks, too.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that nearly 300 children five years old and younger drown in swimming pools and spas each year. Many hundreds more are taken to the hospital due to pool-related injuries. “Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children between the ages of 1 and 4 and minority children drown in pools at an alarming rate,” said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. “The lives of countless children can be saved this summer.  Take simple safety steps today—teach all children to swim, put a fence around all pools, and always watch children in and around the water.”

CPSC’s Pool Safely campaign has a simple message for parents and children: adopt and practice as many safety steps around the water as possible. Learn how these simple safety steps save lives in and around pools and spas:

• Stay close and watch your children near the water 
• Learn life-saving techniques like CPR and how to swim
• Install protective barriers like four-foot fences and compliant  safety drain covers.  

Click to learn more on how Simple Steps Saves Lives 

Knowing about pool safety is crucial, especially when your own young children or those of your visiting friends and family use the pool. One easy way to remember how to stay safe in the pool is to think of the ABCs:
            A = Adult supervision
            B = Barriers
            C = Classes
Click here to learn more about the ABCs of pool safety.

Remember, staying safe in the pool is as easy as A - B - C. Practicing as many of the steps outlined above as possible can make a big difference in keeping your pool area safe and your children free from harm. Note that if you are adding or removing a pool, or have not yet informed your insurance carrier that you already have one, for your protection, be sure to update these changes to your home insurance. Please contact the agency at 978-352-8000 or email info [at] georgetowninsurance [dot] com