Arlington Fire Department Pushes Pool Safety

Video provides tips for parents on how to avoid silent killer

Drowning often happens quickly, silently and without much commotion.

Sadly, it happens every year across North Texas.

"There's usually several in the city [of Arlington] every year, and we want to keep that as low as possible -- hopefully, zero," Arlington Fire Lt. Thomas Hixon said.

The fire department has launched a pool safety video campaign in the hopes of saving lives.

The video gives parents tips such as never keeping toys around an unsupervised pool, placing a fence around a backyard pool and making sure parents and older siblings know CPR.

Virginia Thornton, a mother of two young children, said she takes pool safety very seriously.

"When you're supervising them in the pool, you get in first and then they get out first," she said. "They're never in there without you."

When her kids are around water, Thornton knows her only job is to keep an eye on them.

"You have to commit yourself to that," she said. "You're not responsible for answering the phone or cooking dinner while you're watching them in the pool."

Also, teaching your kids how to swim is a priceless skill.

"We went ahead and got private, intensive swim lessons for our son," Thornton said. "It becomes enjoyable. You realize you're doing a good job and you're teaching them good safety habits."

The fire department's video can be viewed on its Facebook page.

The department is also willing to visit residents' homes for free to perform safety checks around swimming pools.

More: Arlington Fire Department's Facebook page

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