After a long series of rainy weekends, a brutal heat wave has settled upon us for
the past several days. These unusually high temperatures result in increased
numbers of residents seeking relief in a local pool. Clarkstown is fortunate to
have three public pools where residents can cool off: Congers, Germonds, and
Lake Nanuet. These municipal pools are, of course, compliant with all modern
safety regulations and standards, including the presence of trained lifeguards.
Each aquatic facility in the country has to meet standards that dictate how many
lifeguards must be on duty based upon the size of the pool area. If you’re
swimming in a public pool anywhere in the United States, you can reasonably
expect that these safety standards are being met.
Home pools, on the other hand, are far more dangerous when it comes to the
possibility of drowning. According to a study conducted by Safe Kids Worldwide,
87% of drowning incidents occur in private pools, most of which had no lifeguard
present at the time of a fatality. The U.S. Center for Disease Control reports that
more children between the ages of 1-4 die from drowning than any other cause of
death. It is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children
ages 5-14 after motor vehicle crashes. As you can see, it is of paramount
importance to follow safety protocols at your own pool, especially if you have
children in your home or if little ones are visiting. Below are some important
pool safety tips to remember:
● Never leave a child unattended in a pool or spa and always watch children
closely around all bodies of water.
● Designate a “Water Watcher” to supervise children in the pool or spa. This
person should not be reading, texting, using a smartphone or otherwise
distracted. Adults should take turns being the “Water Watcher.”
● Keep children away from pool drains, pipes and other openings to avoid
entrapments.
● Equip your pool with an alarm that will sound when the pool is not in use
or the gate opens.
● Have a telephone close by when you or your family are using a pool.
● Have lifesaving equipment such as life rings, floats or a reaching pole
available and easily accessible.
● If a child is missing, look for him or her in the pool or spa first.
● Share safety instructions with family, friends and neighbors.
● Learn how to swim and teach your child how to swim.
● Teach children basic water safety rules and make sure they are followed.
● Understand the basics of life-saving and CPR so that you can assist in a
pool emergency.
● Install a four-foot or higher fence around the perimeter of the pool and spa
and use self-closing and self-latching gates; ask your neighbors to do the
same at their pools.
We want people to enjoy summer and be safe. Unfortunately, all too frequently
people are not as careful as they need to be around water. Many young lives could
be saved if we all practice some common sense pool safety rules. So let's enjoy the
summer and all that it has to offer, but put safety first.
Speaking of pool safety, if you or someone you know is at least 15 years old and
looking to earn a decent wage for the remainder of the summer while gaining life-
saving training and skills, please send them our way! We still have a few
lifeguard positions open at our town pools. To apply, please go to
clarkstown.gov/recreation/downloads, select applications on the left hand side
and select Summer Application-Lifeguard.pdf
Candidates must have a current lifeguard certification and certification in
American Red Cross (ARC), CPR or equivalent certification. There is still time for
interested individuals to complete these certifications by checking out the
American Red Cross site (https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class).
If you have any questions about the application process or to learn more, please
call 845-639-6200 for more information.
