NEWS RELEASES
NRPA Addresses The Issue of Pool Safety at Campgrounds And Recreational Areas
Editor's Note: This news item was retrieved and first published through NRPA's website.
ASHBURN, Virg. — The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) partners with Pool Safely, a national public education campaign from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), to promote the importance of water safety at park and recreation facilities and campgrounds nationwide. As a partner with this campaign, NRPA encourages park and recreation professionals, along with parents, caregivers and children, to take the Pool Safely Pledge, which is a call-to-action for adults and kids everywhere to commit to specific steps to be safer in and around the water.
According to the press release by NRPA, "Specifically, kids will pledge to never swim alone, ask for swim lessons and stay away from drains. Adults will pledge to always designate a water watcher, learn CPR, ensure their kids know how to swim, remove portable pool ladders when not in use and make sure their pools have proper fencing, gates and drain covers. More than 75,000 adults and children, including 14 Olympians, have taken the Pledge to date." Drowning is the No. 1 cause of unintentional death among children ages 1–4. According to 2018 CPSC data, approximately 350 children tragically drown in pools and spas annually. Furthermore, research shows that 64 percent of African-American children and 45 percent of Hispanic children have no to low swimming ability.