At its meeting tomorrow, the Suffolk County Legislature will vote on a resolution sponsored by Majority Leader Jon Cooper (D-Huntington) that would create an annual "Be Pool Smart" public education campaign to promote pool safety. The vote follows the tragic drowning death of a three-year-old boy on September 7th, the sixth child to die in a pool accident this summer in Suffolk County.

After studying the issue for over a year, Cooper became convinced that the best way to reduce the risks of accidental drownings is to educate children and their parents, as well as the pool owners themselves.

"My five kids grew up with a pool in the backyard. All of them learned to swim at an early age, and they were all taught about pool safety," says Cooper. "I'm not just lucky that none of my kids ever became a drowning statistic, I made it a priority. However, accidents can happen even with the most responsible parents. The ‘Be Pool Smart’ campaign will educate parents and pool owners alike about the layers of protection that are needed to ensure pool safety and help prevent future tragedies."

Cooper’s campaign intends to inform the public about more than a dozen steps that can be taken to provide for a safer pool environment. These include proper fencing, pool alarms and door exit alarms, as well as safety covers when pools are not in use. A cordless phone should also be kept at poolside so parents don’t have to leave children unattended while answering a call. The campaign will emphasize that none of these steps, however, is a substitute for constant adult supervision.

"The Northeast Spa and Pool Association (NESPA) strongly supports Legislator Jon Cooper on the ‘Be Pool Smart’ public education campaign to promote pool safety,” states Lawrence Caniglia, Executive Director of NESPA. “Our industry research has confirmed that nearly all of the tragic drownings that occur on an annual basis can be avoided by proper education on the simple steps it takes to ensure a safe and enjoyable activity."

NESPA, which is the trade association and voice of the recreational water environment industry in the northeastern United States, has long promoted education and the “Fourteen Layers of Safety” to keep swimming safe and fun for everyone, especially children.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), accidental drowning is the second-leading cause of unintentional, injury-related death for children ages 1 to 14. Every year, an average of 350 children under the age of five drown in swimming pools nationwide. An additional 2,600 children under five are hospitalized due to near-drowning accidents.

"I am pleased to support Legislator Cooper’s effort to promote pool safety through education," said Dr. Humayun Chaudhry, Suffolk County’s Health Commissioner. "The ‘Be Pool Smart’ campaign for students will do much to heighten awareness of this problem and improve public safety."

The cornerstone of Cooper's "Be Pool Smart" campaign will be an annual, county-sponsored poster contest where elementary school students across Suffolk County will compete to create pool safety messages. Each of the 18 county legislators will judge a preliminary round of posters submitted by students in their district.