PressRelease
San Antonio Apartment Association Shares Summer Heat Safety Tips
More than 339,000 San Antonians live in apartment communities . With some hottest days on record already this year , the San Antonio Apartment Association ( SAAA ) offers helpful pool and heat safety tips to help keep this summer safe and healthy for everyone .
Summer is pool season in San Antonio and most apartment communities include instant access to one or more swimming pools maintained by on-site staff . While pools are among the most sought-after and enjoyed amenities , they require supervision , especially for small children . According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ), drowning is the leading cause of death from unintentional injury for children between the ages of 1 and 4 years old .
SAAA encourages everyone living at an apartment property or home with a swimming pool to keep the following pool safety tips in mind :
• Never allow children in the pool area without adult supervision . Even if they don ’ t plan on swimming , a child can slip and fall into a pool , become unconscious and drown or injure themselves .
• Paddling pools present risks , too . A single inch of water covering a child ’ s mouth and nose can cause drowning .
• Do not allow children to swim alone , even if they are good swimmers . Small children should always be within an arm ’ s distance of a supervising adult in the water . Consider age-appropriate swim aids or safety devices but remember they do not replace adult supervision .
• If you are at the pool as a group , assign an adult as a “ water watcher ” – the person supervising the pool area at all times . It only takes 20 seconds for a child to drown and , contrary to popular belief , they rarely give any “ signs ” of distress .
• Enroll your children in swim lessons and learn CPR . You may save a life !
• Always secure access to swimming pools . All apartment pools have fences and self-closing and latching gates to prevent children from entering the pool area unattended – notify management immediately if they are not in working order or if anyone props them open .
• Learn the location of and how to use pool safety devices . Apartment pools are equipped with devices intended to prevent death or injury . These items include drain covers , a shepherd ’ s hook and a reaching pole , a throwing rope , a ring buoy , as well as a landline phone to call for help in case of an incident . If any of these devices are missing or in disrepair , notify management immediately .
• Finally , we encourage you to be a good neighbor . If you see any unattended children at the community pool , urge them to leave the pool area and report the incident to the manager immediately .
As summer temperatures are rising , so does the risk of heat-related injury . SAAA encourages all apartment residents to check on a neighbor , especially an elderly resident who might be at risk for a heat-related illness , during these hot months and report any concerns about their health and safety to the proper authorities .