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Water Safety Information

Water Safety Information for Families

Drowning can happen quickly and quietly. Use this guide whenever your family is near a pool, lake, river, ocean, hot tub, or other body of water. Layers of protection help keep children and adults safer.

WATCH

Stay close and focused.

WEAR

Use fitted life jackets.

LEARN

Build skills and know the rules.

 

 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

FCSD Water Safety Information for FamiliesNYS Department of Health: Safe Swimming TipsCenters for Disease Control and Prevention: Drowning PreventionAmerican Red Cross: Water Safety Resources

A waterfront area features wooden docks extending into calm water, with a lush green tree and buildings in the background.

PREVENT DROWNING:

  • Watch without distractions: Choose a responsible adult to be the “water watcher.” That person should stay focused—not read, use a phone, drink alcohol, or do other tasks.
  • Keep young children within reach: Stay close enough to touch young children and inexperienced swimmers. Do not rely on lifeguards, older children, or flotation toys for supervision.
  • Use layers of protection: Use four-sided pool fencing with a self-closing, self-latching gate. Keep doors and gates secured, remove climbing objects, and empty portable or kiddie pools after use.
  • Build swimming skills: Enroll children in age- and skill-appropriate swim lessons. Swimming ability reduces risk but does not replace supervision.
  • Wear life jackets: Use a properly fitted, U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket for boating and for children or inexperienced swimmers around open water. Water wings and inflatable toys are not safety devices.
  • Prepare for an emergency: Learn CPR, keep a phone and rescue equipment nearby, and know the exact location or address before an emergency occurs.

Water Safety in Every Setting

POOLS AND HOT TUBS

  • Secure access when not in use.
  • Check drain covers.
  • Walk—do not run—on wet surfaces.
  • Dive only in designated areas; enter feet first when depth is unknown.

LAKES, RIVERS AND OCEANS

  • Swim in designated areas with a lifeguard when possible.
  • Check weather, currents, water temperature, and local warnings.
  • Never swim alone.
     

Safe and Healthy Swimming

  • Stay out of the water if you have diarrhea. Germs can spread even when the water looks clean.
  • Shower before swimming, take children on regular bathroom breaks, and check diapers away from the water.
  • Do not swallow pool, lake, river, or ocean water.
  • Follow posted rules and lifeguard directions. Never swim alone; use the buddy system.
  • Take rest, shade, and water breaks. Use broad-spectrum sunscreen and reapply as directed.
  • Avoid alcohol or drugs while swimming, boating, supervising children, or operating watercraft.
  • Stop swimming when thunder or lightning is present and follow local guidance about when it is safe to return.

If Someone is in Trouble

  • Call for help and tell someone to call 911. Alert the lifeguard if one is present.
  • Reach or throw—do not go. Extend a pole, towel, or other object, or throw a floating device from a safe position. Entering the water can put the rescuer at risk.
  • Begin CPR if the person is not breathing normally and you are trained. Use an AED if one is available and follow its prompts.
  • Seek medical evaluation after a nonfatal drowning event, even if the person seems to recover.
  • Remember  Supervision, barriers, swimming skills, life jackets, and emergency readiness work best together.

A group of volunteers wearing bright lime green vests gather by the edge of a calm lake to collect litter.

FAMILY CHECKLIST

☐  We have a designated water watcher.
☐  Children and inexperienced swimmers have properly fitted life jackets.
☐  Pool gates, doors, and alarms are working and secured.
☐  We know the water conditions, rules, and emergency location.
☐  A charged phone and rescue equipment are nearby.
☐  Adults and older youth know where to learn CPR.