LAS VEGAS --
Families in North Las Vegas weren’t laughing Thursday when they saw firefighters going door to door stressing the importance of pool safety.
Although temperatures dropped a bit this week, many hotels already have their pools open and homeowners have filled up their own pools for the summer.
In an effort to lower the number of drowning deaths and near-drownings in North Las Vegas, firefighters declared Thursday “April Pools Day.”
"We want adult supervision. We want barrier alarms on your sliding glass doors and doors at the fences around the pool. We want people just to be aware of their children," said fire Captain Cedric Williams.
There were already three drowning deaths in the Las Vegas valley by April 2009, and a total of 10 for the entire year.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cite a lack of barriers and supervision as the leading risk factor when it comes to drowning. Among children ages 1 to 4 years, most drownings occur in home swimming pools, according to the agency.
More information on water injury prevention and warning signs can be found at the CDC
Web site
.
Copyright 2010 by KVVU.com. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
