Back St. Louis, Friday, June 3, 2005 – As attendance increases at aquatic facilities throughout the metropolitan area this summer, the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter has issued water safety tips to encourage individuals to focus on safety.  These tips focus on three areas: general water safety, supervising children near the water, and safeguarding home swimming pools. General Water Safety: • Always swim with a buddy and never alone. • Read and obey all rules and posted signs. • Swim in areas that are supervised by a lifeguard. • Children or inexperienced swimmers should take extra precautions and wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket. • Set water safety rules for your family based on swimming abilities. • Be knowledgeable of your water environment and its potential hazards. • Know how to prevent, recognize and respond to emergencies by seeking proper training. • Use a feet-first entry when entering the water. • Do not mix alcohol with swimming, diving or boating. Safety Tips When Supervising Children: • Maintain constant supervision. • Stay within arm’s reach of an inexperienced swimmer and remain watchful. • Do not rely on substitutes such as flotation devices and inflatable toys; they cannot replace supervision. • Prevent access to certain water features such as small ponds and waterfalls. • Empty kiddie pools immediately after use. • Enroll a child in a Red Cross learn-to-swim course. Safeguard Home Swimming Pools: • Construct a fence that includes a self-closing, self-latching gate and completely encloses the area with vertical bars. • Post the rules for your pool and enforce them without exception. • Post depth markers and “No Diving” signs as appropriate. • Keep toys away from the pool and out of sight when the pool is not in use. • Pool covers should be completely removed prior to use and completely secured when in place. • Post emergency numbers and have a cell phone readily available when poolside. • Ensure basic lifesaving devices such as a reaching pole, rope and flotation devices are easily accessible. • Learn Red Cross CPR and First Aid and post CPR and first aid instructions. • Maintain clean and clear pool water. • Store pool chemicals in childproof containers and out of the reach of children. Education through training is essential to preparedness.  Last year, as part of the Red Cross mission to prevent, prepare for and respond to disasters and emergencies, the St. Louis Area Chapter trained more than 37,000 individuals in learn-to-swim, lifeguard certification curriculum and other water safety programs.  For more information about water safety or aquatics training provided by the American Red Cross, please call the St. Louis Area Chapter at 314.516.2800 or log on to the Chapter’s website at www.redcrossstl.org. About the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter: Founded in 1917, the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter provides emergency and preparedness assistance more than 397,000 times each year. The Red Cross depends on the efforts of thousands of volunteers and 140 staff to provide a wide range of community support services, including disaster relief, first aid and CPR training, water safety, adult daytime professional care, services to military personnel, assistance to homeless families, and support for blood services. The Chapter provides programs and services to St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County and Jefferson County in Missouri, as well as Monroe, St. Clair (including Scott Air Force Base) and part of Madison County in Illinois. # # #

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