Pool Alarms Can be Useful
July 2, 2001
Are pool alarms the answer to protecting children around the pool? A recent evaluation of competing pool alarms conducted by Dateline NBC found that the devices can be helpful, but they are no substitute for close adult supervision. Over 350 children drown each year in private swimming pools, and 6,500 are treated as a result of near drowning. In fact, death by drowning is the fourth leading killer of children under five. Pool alarms detect wave action on the water's surface and emit a high-pitched tone when the water is disturbed. Presumably, when a child falls into a pool, the pool alarm should detect the water movement and sound an alert.
Dateline tested four pool alarm brands by dropping a weight (to simulate a child) into a pool equipped with the devices. While all brands successfully detected the presence of the weight when it was placed into the water in close proximity to the device, only Pool Guard brand was 100% successful in detecting the intrusion when it occurred at the opposite end of the pool. Neither Pool Patrol nor Pool SOS consistently detected the weight when it entered the water at the far end of the pool. While the Pool Eye brand pool alarm detected all intrusions, both near and far, it also registered numerous false alarms, undermining confidence in its design.
While a pool alarm may be a useful tool to add to your child protection arsenal, it is no substitute for adult supervision and vigilance.
-- Article Courtesy of InjuryBoard.com
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