Queen Creek Fire Department to promote importance of water safety

QUEEN CREEK, Ariz. ﾓAugust is drowning impact awareness month, and Queen Creek firefighters want to remind residents of the ABCs of water safety: Adult supervision, Barriers between children and water, and Classes in CPR for adults and swim lessons for children.

Drowning is a top cause of injury-related death for children in Arizona, especially in the one- to five-year-old age group. Child drowning is preventable, but sometimes, little can be done for a child once he or she has fallen into the water. Drowning can be avoided by following these important and life saving rules:

• Maintain constant adult supervision at all times.
• Install barriers surrounding the pool. Fences should be five feet high and gates should be self-closing and self-latching.
• Keep items that can be used for climbing away from pool fences.
• Never keep toys in or around a pool.
• Have a phone nearby. Post the 9-1-1 emergency telephone number and the physical address of the pool on the phone.

Purple ribbons recognizing the importance of water safety and the impacts of drowning are available free-of-charge at Queen Creek Town buildings and both Queen Creek fire stations through the month of August.