Emergency Preparedness

The Community Hygiene Program has residential pool safety information.

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According to CDC, drowning is a leading cause of death for children. Follow these tips to help keep kids safe:

• Fence off and/or cover swimming areas when not in use.
• Empty bathtubs, buckets, and kiddie pools after use.
• Never leave young children in water (including bathtubs and kiddie pools) without adult supervision.
• Don’t divide attention between watching a child in water and other tasks.
• Enroll your child in swim lessons. Visit Howard County Recreation and Parks
• Know The 5 Layers of Protection.

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• Learn CPR to perform emergency resuscitation. Here’s a CPR class near you,

Learn more about drowning prevention from American Academy of Pediatrics.

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Spending time in natural bodies of water – like oceans, lakes, rivers, and ponds is a great way to enjoy the outdoors. While this can help you stay active, it is important to know that germs can be found in the water and sand, causing you to become sick. Here are a few steps to help protect against germs.

Know Before You Go:

• Find out if water is safe to swim in. Some bodies of water are closed because they contain dangerous amounts of sewage, chemicals, debris, or other hazards.
• Learn whether water will be monitored by lifeguards. Consider extra precautions, like life jackets, if you are swimming at your own risk. Visit Water Safety USA to learn how to properly choose and wear a life jacket.
• Check weather report to make sure conditions are safe for swimming. Rain, lightning, currents, and cold temperatures can increase risk of injury or death.
• Let someone on land know where you will be swimming, and for how long.

In the Water:

• Never swim alone, after consuming alcohol or other drugs, or after dark.
• Avoid swallowing water and sand to keep germs and chemicals out of your body.
• Don’t jump or dive into unfamiliar water. Trees, rocks, banks, and other underwater hazards can injure or kill.
• Get out of the water if it smells unpleasant, looks discolored, or you notice pipes draining into the water. These are signs that the water is polluted and unsafe for swimming.
• Don’t poop in the water. Make young children take mandatory bathroom breaks each hour.
• Make sure young children and weak swimmers wear life jackets.
• In the ocean, keep an eye out for large, unexpected waves.
• If caught in a rip current, swim parallel to shore to escape it before swimming back to the beach. To learn how rip currents, form and why they can be dangerous, please visit the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration.

After Swimming:

• Dry out your ears to prevent infection.
• Wash hands with soap and water. If soap and water are unavailable, use hand sanitizer.
• Shower with soap and water.

Learn more about staying safe in natural bodies of water: USDA Forest Service, Water Safety

CDC: Water Safety

Maryland Department of Natural Resources: Stay Safe on the Water

Maryland Department of Environment: Maryland Beaches Program

Rescue:

If you see someone in trouble in the water, notify the nearest lifeguard immediately! If there is no lifeguard, and you must help them yourself, do NOT swim after them.

Remember: Reach, Throw, Row—Don't Go!

Reach: Securely hold the dock or boat and reach out to the person with a paddle, stick, fishing pole, or arm.

Throw: If the person is out of reach, throw them a life ring, life jacket, or something else that floats.

Row: If the person is out of throwing distance, use paddles or oars to row your boat closer to them, or call out to a nearby boat.

Don’t Go: Do NOT go into the water to help unless you are trained in lifesaving—a drowning person can pull you under the water. Instead, call out for help, dial 911, and/or go find help nearby.

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