Fireworks Safety and Drowning Prevention

Fireworks start an average of 19,500 fires and cause 9,100 injuries every year. Many of these injuries, 36% of them, involve children under the age of 15. Here are some ways to safely enjoy them this summer.

• Attend public firework displays and leave the lighting to the professionals.

• Sparklers account for roughly one-quarter of emergency room fireworks injuries. Please only purchase sparklers from the approved list provided by the Florida State Fire Marshal.

• If you do choose to use fireworks, please do so wisely.

* Purchase Fireworks from a licensed, reliable source.

* Do not let children handle fireworks, ever.

* Never relight a dud. Wait five minutes and then douse it with water.

* Only use fireworks in a clear, open area, away from other people.

* Always have a fire extinguisher and water source close by.

Drowning Prevention

More children ages 1-4 die from drowning than any other cause of death. And for children ages 5-14, drowning is the second leading cause of death after motor vehicle accidents.

Drowning deaths are preventable, but it takes a joint effort to accomplish the task of keeping everyone safe. Please follow these tips to maintain safety around the water.

• Designate an adult “Water Watcher” to maintain constant watch over children in the pool during gatherings.

• Never leave a child unattended near water in a tub, pool or ocean. There is no substitute for adult supervision.

• Teach children about water safety and how to swim.

• Don’t consider children “drown proof” because they’ve had swim lessons.

• Remove toys from in and around the pool when not it use.

• Protect everyone by enclosing your pool with a fence and equipping it with alarmed, self-closing gates.