County Executive Curran & Health Commissioner Dr. Eisenstein Remind Residents of Water Safety as Part of Child Safe Summer Campaign
MINEOLA, NY – Nassau County Executive Laura Curran and County Health Commissioner Dr. Lawrence Eisenstein have launched Nassau County’s Child Safe Summer initiative, a multimedia awareness campaign for summer safety concerns. With drowning being the number one cause of accidental death nationally among children ages 1-4, there is need for continued vigilance to combat this prevalent safety risk. The new website nassaucountyny.gov/ChildSafeSummer, provides the latest safe summer health updates, advice, alerts and information.
“From six public pools, 62 parks and miles of pristine beachfronts, Nassau County abounds with opportunities to swim in the summer months. Swimming is a wonderful way to exercise and stay healthy, but parents and caregivers must provide undistracted and continuous supervision of their children to keep them safe – there is no substitution,” said County Executive Curran. “I urge residents to put their phones away and stay vigilant. In most cases, children who’ve drowned had been out of sight less than five minutes and were in the care of one or both parents at the time. Let’s work together to make water safety a top priority and ensure a safe summer.”
“I encourage our residents and visitors to enjoy Nassau County’s beautiful beaches and pools,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Eisenstein. “Parents and caregivers must designate a responsible adult to ensure that children are supervised at all times when in or around water.”
Children’s swim lessons are available at three pools located in Nassau County parks including the Aquatic Center located in Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, Cantiague Park in Hicksville and Wantagh Park in Wantagh. Year-round at the Aquatic Center offers swim lessons for children and adults as well as CPR/AED Training, Junior Lifeguard and Lifeguard Training. For more information on pricing, programs and amenities, please visit: www.nassaucountyny.gov/1769/Aquatic-Center
County Executive Curran suggests following the tips below to help kids stay safe this summer and all year long. For more information, please visit: nassaucountyny.gov/ChildSafeSummer.
Pool Safety Tips
- Never leave a child alone in the water.
- Always maintain visual contact.
- Never leave tempting objects such as floats or toys at poolside or floating on water surface.
- Research has shown that barrier devices such as four-sided isolation fencing can reduce the incidence of drowning among toddlers and young children
- Keep chairs, stools, tables away from fences & poolsides.
- Always lock gates and remove ladders/steps when pool is not in use.
- Keep a phone at poolside for use in an emergency.
- Never rely on a flotation device as a substitute for constant supervision.
- Use pool alarms for short periods of time and cover pool when not in use for long periods of time.
- Learn CPR and emergency first aid.