Children's Safety Zone

A young boy is in critical condition after being found at the bottom of a pool with his scooter in Phoenix, authorities said.

Glendale Fire Department officials said the boy, who is believed to be 2 or 3 years old, was found by his mother Friday afternoon at a home near 43rd Avenue and Greenway Road.

The mother jumped in and pulled the boy out, and the grandpa started CPR, officials said.

The boy was taken to a hospital with no pulse or respiration, but officials said he did have a heartbeat. Upon arrival to the hospital, the boy started breathing, officials said.

There was no safety fence surrounding the pool.

The condition of a 2-year-old girl who was found face-down in a Glendale pool Tuesday night has been upgraded, authorities said.

The toddler was flown to St. Joseph’s Hospital & Medical Center in very critical condition.

Though she remains in serious condition Wednesday, the toddler’s condition appears to have improved, said Officer Gerald Sydnor, a Glendale police spokesman.

Emergency crews were called to a home in the 5200 block of North 71st Lane around 8 p.m. for a possible drowning after the girl’s siblings apparently found her in the pool, pulled her out and called 911, said Daniel Valenzuela, a Glendale fire spokesman.

Emergency crews treated the toddler on scene before flying her to the hospital.

The Glendale home is located just outside the Maryvale precinct of Phoenix, one of America’s leading neighborhoods for drownings a decade ago.

Fire officials launched a water-safety campaign targeting the west Phoenix neighborhood in 2002 after statistics revealed nearly two-thirds of all drownings in Arizona occurred in that area.

The campaign, which promoted proper fencing and encouraged residents to fill unwanted pools, dramatically reduced the number of pool-related submersions.

Valenzuela said Tuesday’s near drowning is unfortunate because the Glendale Fire Department conducted another water-safety campaign in that exact neighborhood on Saturday. Firefighters went door-to-door offering free inspections of pools, providing advice, water-safety tips and even free pool fences for some residents.

On average, 20 children have died in water-related incidents every year in Maricopa County since 2000, according to Valenzuela. Many others, he added, suffer lifelong problems related to prolonged submersion.

Valenzuela said this incident is a strong reminder for all residents to take precautionary measures to ensure the safety of their children.

TUCSON, AZ (KOLD) – Tucson Fire Department added a drowning prevention component to its Parent Preschool Program this year.

The program is delivered through a classroom visit to local preschools, recreation centers and summer school programs. Educational materials, and safety resources are also distributed to parents through the program.

Approximately 60 preschools participated in the program in 2010.

The purpose of the Parent/Preschool Program is to prevent childhood injury and death by raising awareness of the leading causes of death and injury to children and by teaching parents protective behaviors to prevent those injuries from occurring.

The program consists of two components:

• A preschool lesson during which children are taught how to react safely to a fire emergency.
• A parent class during which parents are taught how to prevent injury in the home by employing “the 3 Ss of Home Safety” “ﾓ Supervision, Security and Safety Training.

On Tuesday, May 10, 2011, at 9:30 a.m., at Los Ninos Head Start 5445 S. Alvernon Way, the TFD education team will be teaching drowning prevention to students and parents.

Tucson Fire Captain Trish Tracy says the 20-minute class has valuable information that could save lives.

Click here to listen…

In the past 10 weeks, Chandler safety officials have respondedto five pediatric drowning incidents, including the death of atleast one child, according to Chandler Fire Chief Jeff Clark. Thecity averages about five drowning or near-drowning calls a year, hesaid in a news release. The recent incidents involved three pools,a bathtub and a neighborhood lake.

“We don’t expect to respond to this many water safety calls duringa typical year, but it is especially troubling to have these happenduring the winter months,” Clark said.

In response, a community-wide drowning prevention campaign is underway. Throughout March, fire department personnel will emphasizepool safety and water awareness to Chandler residents by speakingwith them in a variety of venues, such as grocery stores, parks,schools, homeowner association meetings, and during door-to-doorvisits. On March 26, community volunteers will join firefighters inwalking their neighborhoods and sharing a message of personalresponsibility for preventing child drownings.