​Chandler resident Laura Dawson is a single mother to Grace, and grandmother to 6-month-old Layla. She’s also taking care of her mother, Nancy, who is battling Alzheimer’s disease.

They live together in a Chandler home that, until recently, did not have a pool fence.

Child Crisis Arizona recently announced the Dawsons and 10 other Valley families are recipients of pool fences. In the span of two weeks, these fences have found their place in these 11 backyards, which are at homes where grandparents serve as primary caregivers, single-parent households, and households where children are in the adoption process.

Caitlin Sageng is the senior program director at Child Crisis Arizona.

“Drowning remains the leading cause of death of children 1 to 4 years old and remains among the top five causes of death for children ages 5 to 9 years old,” Sageng said. “In response to this urgent need, three years ago, we partnered with SRP and the United Phoenix Firefighters Charities, now known as the 493 Firefighter Foundation, to pioneer the Pool Fence Safety Program. Our mission? To equip families like the Dawson’s with vital protection, free of charge.”

While no single measure can single-handedly avert all such tragedies, the program strives to create multiple layers of defense, between children and pools.
Arizona offers dozens of no-cost, online, and in-person safety courses including their virtual Water Safety Workshop available online at childcrisisaz.org.

Here are some considerations for all caregivers:

• A pool fence should surround all sides of the pool and be at least five feet tall with self-closing and self-latching gates.

• Make sure that all furniture is on the inside of the pool fence so that children cannot use it to climb over the fence.

• Ensure that the pool gate is always properly latched and closed and that it is not broken.

• Children should not be able to go under, over, or around the pool fence.

• Children can be small enough to fit through a “doggie door” when parents are not aware. Lock doggie doors so that it creates a barrier between the child and water.

• Never allow a child to sit on or next to a drain. Teach your child not to swim or play near the drain.

• Swim with a partner. Keep young children and weak swimmers within arm’s reach of an adult. Make sure older children swim with a partner every time.

“This year we have already seen a record number of drownings,” said David J. Ramirez, City of Phoenix firefighter and 493 Foundation Program Director. “I can’t stress enough how crucial it is to keep an eye on children around any body of water at all times. Not only swimming pools but also small plastic pools and tubs. This paired with safety barriers, and teaching kids early water survival skills are the greatest lines of defense against drownings.”

We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments on this topic.  Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.