Arizona child drowning prevention: Local company fixes broken pool gates for free
PHOENIX - Arizonans are packing the pools to beat the summer heat, but it can also mean one of the most dangerous times of year for kids.
What we know:
In Arizona, drowning is the leading cause of death for kids ages one to four.
Local perspective:
One business is aiming to keep that statistic from getting worse.
"Drownings are up again, sadly, to say, and we just had a few more. So, I wanted to start this campaign up again," Dane Palmero, owner at Overflow Pools, said.
Overflow Pool Construction and Repair is launching its Gate Safety Campaign, where the company will fix a broken pool gate spring or latch for free. Palmero says it is all to keep families safe.
"What we’re afraid of is homeowners are going to say I’ll do it later or I’ll get to it next weekend. Or I don’t want to call a guy to fix the gate because I don’t want to spend $200 for a guy to come out and just tighten a spring, so they just don’t do it," Palmero said.
What you can do:
Pool owners who are interested can simply submit a photo to info@overflowpools.com. The team will then see if the gate qualifies, and if so, come out and fix it.
"We’re making it very easy for them. Just give us a call. We’ll go fix it for you," Palmero said.
Why you should care:
Palmero is also sharing tips to make sure a fence is doing the most it can to keep kids safe, like reminding folks to not keep anything up against the fence.
"Let’s just say, for instance, this was right here. That would not be good for the simple reason that a kid could stand on that and climb over the fence. We don’t want that there," Palmero said.
He also says the gate should not be propped open indefinitely. Any gate fixed could mean a life saved.
"If you were to keep it open for a long period of time, the spring will lose its tension, and it won’t close," Palmero said.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Dane Palmero and Overflow Pool Construction and Repair.