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KCFD offers tips to prevent child drownings this summer

Posted at 4:06 PM, Jul 28, 2020
and last updated 2020-07-29 09:31:16-04

Every year, children are at risk of drowning in pools when parents or guardians aren't looking.

According to the CDC, around 10 people die everyday in the United States due to drowning. Of these, two are children under the age of 14.

It's because of those numbers, that the Kern County Fire Department continues to offer guidance every swimming season about how to keep young swimmers safe.

Officials say pool barriers like fences, locked doors and windows help protect children from getting into a body of water without someone watching.

“We don’t want to see any drownings, but we know the nature that we live in and the curiosity of children, accidents happen, all types of accidents happen,” Andrew Freeborn, Public Information Officer for the Kern County Fire Department, said.

The fire department emphasizes that no matter the size of the pool, there needs to be someone on guard at all times.

“So we have more individuals staying at home, they are going out and getting small inflatable pools, it doesn’t take much, you only need water deep enough for a child’s mouth and nose to be submerged in,” Freeborn said.

Even if a person is able to be saved, there are still complications due to drownings that can affect a child for the rest of their life.

“There are thousands of individuals, that drown without dying, and still have to make a trip to the emergency room and may still have prolonged medical care that they need because of that near drowning,” Freeborn said.

The Fire department recommends making sure that a child has a properly fitting flotation device, as well as making sure there are no pool toys left in the pool so a child doesn't try to reach for them when no is watching.

If there is ever an emergency, the first thing you need to do is call 911.

“We want kids to have fun, we want families to be in a healthy environment, but at the same time we hate to hear of children or anyone having this kind of emergency that we are having to respond to,” Freeborn said.