Councilman Claude Mattox's
Monthly Newsletter Column
ABCs that can save lives for AZ families
Most parents start singing their children the ABCs before the little ones can even walk.
Many of your kids here in Phoenix are now learning a new set of ABCs - the basics of water safety.
Adult supervision - Always know where your children are and keep eye contact with them at all times when they are in or near water.
Barriers - Block access to the pool with a fence, a pool cover and/or a net. Double- and triple-lock doors that lead to the back yard, with at least one of the locks higher than the kids can reach.
Classes - Take your kids to swimming classes and learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation to save their lives if something does happen.
ABC - It's the mantra we hope everyone in the community is hearing from our dedicated Phoenix firefighters and other groups who work to educate the public on the dangers of drowning.
Some of the news is discouraging. As of Monday, April 4, Phoenix Fire had already responded to eight drownings or near drownings this year, seven involving children. One adult died in the water. Two west Phoenix girls, just babies really, are clinging to life after they got into their unfenced back yard pool a few weeks ago. One of the incidents was in a bucket and two in bathtubs, showing all sources of water can be dangerous, not just pools.
You'll notice we call them drowning incidents, not accidents. Firefighters tell us that in every drowning, at least one of the ABCs is ignored - no adults watching, no barrier, or kids who can't swim.
But some of the news is encouraging.
The number of drownings or near drownings involving Phoenix children has dropped three years in a row.
The sixth annual Water Safety Day was just held, with 1,400 first-graders going to South Mountain Community College. All of them had already learned the ABCs of water safety curriculum at school. Our partner, The Home Depot, was there, helping students frame a water safety pledge, with their name and a handprint, to hang on a wall at home as a reminder.
The Home Depot also recently installed a pool fence for a needy family in west Phoenix. At least 100 Home Depot employees were there for training. These same associates will be teaching free pool fence clinics at all Home Depots in Phoenix and Tucson every Saturday and Sunday in April from 11 a.m. to noon.
"People are a little intimidated by the idea of installing a pool fence," The Home Depot's Dow Rigler said. "With a few tips, anyone can do it. And if you can save the labor costs, it could mean the difference between having the crucial barrier between your children and the water."
It's all about learning the ABCs of water safety - Adult supervision, Barriers, Classes.
Learn it. Live it. Help us teach it to your kids.
