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Pool Alarms

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A pool alarm can be a good additional safeguard in that it provides an additional layer of protection against child drownings in swimming pools. Since pool alarms rely on someone remembering to activate them each and every time the pool is in use, they should not be relied upon as a substitute for supervision or for a barrier completely surrounding the pool. A remote alarm feature that will sound inside the house is important to have with a pool alarm. Some alarms include this; with other alarms it has to be purchased separately.

The wristband can also provide an additional layer of protection. However, it relies on someone putting it on the child and, since children often reach the pool unexpectedly from the house, it would be important for a child to wear the wristband all the time. This may present some difficulties since it alarms when exposed to any water, e.g., when washing hands.

New Pool Safety Gadgets Help Prevent Drowning

Children between the ages of 1 and 4 are most at risk for drowning, and adult supervision often isn't enough to prevent it.

Among the good things about residential swimming pools is the fact that so much research has been done on pool safety. One outgrowth of that research has been the development of a vast number of products and devices that aim to keep your pool safe.

There are fences designed with self-closing, self-locking gates and rigid covers that slide over the pool like horizontal garage doors. There are even several electronic alarms of various designs. One is worn on the child's wrist like a watch and sounds upon contact with water. Others sound an alarm when movement in pool water is detected.

"Nothing is foolproof when it comes to protecting children from drowning in a pool," says Mark Ross, a spokesman for the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). "That's why we recommend that pool owners provide layers of protection."

Children between the ages of 1 and 4 are most at risk for fatal and nonfatal drowning, according to the CDC, which tracks drowning deaths. CDC data show that in children most drownings occur in residential swimming pools. In adults, most drownings occur in natural waters.

But the majority of child drownings occur when children get into the pool on their own. The CDC found that "most young children who drowned in pools were last seen in the home, had been out of sight less than five minutes, and were in the care of one or both parents at home at the time."
Figures from the CDC show that from 2001-2002, 775 children aged 14 and under died from drowning. While drowning rates have slowly declined, drowning remains the second-leading cause of injury-related death for children.

'Layers' of Pool Protection

The first and most important layer is constant, adult supervision during swim times. Other protective measures are important, too, says Ross. Here are some of their recommendations based on extensive product testing:

• The pool should be surrounded by a fence at least 4 feet tall.
• The fence should have self-closing and self-latching gates with latches that are out of the reach of children.
• The fence should completely separate the pool from the house.
• The door to the pool should have an alarm.
• Install a rigid, power safety pool cover.
• Install an underwater motion swimming pool alarm.

"We recommend at a minimum the type of alarm that attaches to the side of the pool and actually detects motion under the water, rather than those that monitor surface movement," said Ross. "Surface alarms can be triggered by wind moving the water, and you can get more false alarms."
Ross adds that the CPSC also tested a type of alarm that attaches to a child's wrist like a wristwatch. There are several models available. Some sound an alarm if the wrist band gets wet. Others sound when the band has been under water for a few seconds.

"We did testing on the wrist alarms," said Ross. "And while they are good as a backup layer of protection, we don't recommend them as highly as the underwater motion sensor because of the false alarm problem and because they are not as reliable."

Protection Backs Up Vigilance

"It's true that there is value to electronic alarm systems as part of the layering of protection," says B. Chris Brewster, president of the U.S. Lifesaving Association, which provides training and certification for lifeguards. "But what worries me about the alarms is that people might think they don't have to keep close watch if they have an alarm. That's absolutely wrong. Never, ever leave a child alone in a pool even for a few seconds."

The unfortunate fact of the matter, however, is that a CPSC study on how child drownings occur found that supervision can fail. The investigation looked at deaths of children under age 5 in Arizona, California, and Florida who had drowned in home swimming pools. Here are some of the findings

Could a pool alarm save your child? 

Drowning is the biggest cause of death for Australian children below the age of five. In addition, for every child that drowns, three are admitted to hospital and between five and 20 per cent of these suffer brain damage.  

Over 50 per cent of toddler drownings occur in a swimming pool, with the balance occurring in rivers, lakes dams and the bath. A child can drown in as little as four centimetres of water, which means that spas, fishponds, buckets and even toilets pose a threat to a small child. 

Current drowning prevention strategies are primarily focused around four key areas:
* Supervision
* Pool fencing
* Water familiarisation classes
* Resuscitation training. 

But can we do more to protect our precious children? 

Supervision is clearly the key to drowning prevention. However, parents can get distracted, especially when other children are present, and this can lead to tragedy. In addition, while pool fences are definitely a vital component of any drowning prevention programme, more than half of the fences tested by the Australian Consumers' Association recently failed a key Australian standards test. 

Pool alarms are becoming very popular worldwide, as parents look for new ways to protect loved ones around water. While no product could ever substitute for constant adult supervision, pool alarms offer an additional layer of protection to further reduce the possibility of drowning. If a child somehow manages to get past traditional barriers and reaches the water, a pool alarm can alert you in time to take action and prevent a tragedy. 

Two of the most successful and respected pool alarms internationally are the Poolguard and the Safety Turtle:

The Poolguard Pool Alarm sits on the side of the pool. If a child falls into the water, the wave motion created will trigger an alarm both at the pool and also at a remote receiver. New sensing technology provides less chance of false alarms due to wind or rain. 

The Poolguard Gate Alarm and Poolguard Door Alarm can be set up on the pool gate or on any door that leads outside. Both these alarms sound in seven seconds if a child goes through, although they have a feature that allows adults to go through without the alarm sounding. 

The Safety Turtle consists of a Base Station, normally located in the house and a wristband, worn by the child. The wristband, designed in the shape of a colourful turtle, instantly detects immersion in water and sends a radio signal to the base station, which then sounds a loud distinctive alarm to alert the household. The Turtle wristband locks securely around the child's wrist and is ruggedly built to withstand child's play. 

Unlike other pool alarms that have to be deactivated whenever someone swims or even just cleans the pool, Safety Turtle provides continuous protection to the wearer, because the product effectively protects the child and not the water. The Safety Turtle, however, is not recommended for salt-water pools. 

Both Poolguard and the Safety Turtle have received rave reviews and have been featured on NBC, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Discovery Channel, Good Morning America, NBC, the Today Show, Travel Gear, Global News, CTV News and CBS and Fox.  

Steven Lewsen, one of WAís most well-known and respected first-aid instructors and a former ambulance officer, says that his children always have a Safety Turtle attached to their wrist whenever they visit anyone with a pool. "I watch my children very carefully around water, as I have seen how quickly and quietly a drowning can occur," he says, "ìbut a pool alarm provides a potentially life-saving back-up.

Once a child stops breathing, irreversible brain damage usually begins to occur within three to four minutes, so rapid action is required if a life is to be saved. In theory, your child or grandchild should never be able to get past you and reach the water. But what if he or she does? Will you find out in time? A pool alarm may make the difference! 

For more information on pool alarms, or if you would like to have the Save-A-Child first-aid course run in your home, contact Steven Lewsen on 9378 7745 or 0402 043 181.