Backyard pools are a great summertime activity. Warren County YMCA Aquatics and Maintenance Director Tom Sparkman offers tips to ensure that time is enjoyed safely:
“If your pool is not fenced, I would highly encourage the pool to be fenced. There are requirements on the Monmouth Town Hall page of what the requirements for keeping a safe pool in town are. They have to do with heights of the pool; they have to do with locking ladders. If you have an above ground pool, you can disable entry into the pool if you can remove the ladder or at the very least lock the ladder. Those are some of the things to think about when you own a pool. Make sure you know the zoning requirements in town. Make sure your barriers are designed to control for protection against potential drowning or near drowning by restricting access. That is for pools, spas, and hot tubs. If you can get a fence around it.”
Also remember, one of the most important water safety guidelines is never leaving a child unattended around a pool, spa, hot, or any other body of water.
**Written by WMOI/WRAM Director of Communications Kelsey Crain**
