Old-fashioned vigilance is also paramount. During summer gatherings, parents often assume someone else has an eye on children, Arca says. People also think they would notice if a child were drowning.
“The truth is drowning is silent,” Arca says. “It’s important for parents and watchers to know they can’t hear someone drowning, and they need to be watching.”
Arca advises choosing a “designated watcher” to keep an eye on pool activities during backyard parties.
Mike Geremia and Patty Roth, owners of Geremia Pools, also stress the importance of constant supervision.
“Bring things outside that you might need,” Geremia says. “Bring a cooler so you don’t have to run in to grab drinks. Bring a portable phone.”
For both kids and adults, Geremia recommends that pools be at least 7 ½ feet deep for diving and 4 ½ feet deep for a slide.
“Just don’t take having a pool for granted,” Geremia says. “Be on your tiptoes and be alert. That’s all it takes.”
Grilling and Food Safety
Larry Gaian, the Sacramento-based writer and creator of the barbecue website Embers and Flame, has been blogging about grilling since 1997. But he began throwing meat on the pit long ago and knows that anyone can become careless around the ‘cue.
