The second leading health threat to kids 14 and under is drowning, taking 1,100+ kids' lives and hospitalizing another 5,000 near-drowning victims each year, according to information provided by St. Joseph's Children's Hospital. In Florida, drowning is the leading cause of death to children, ages 0-4. Two-thirds of all drownings occur between May and August.

Contrary to popular belief, a child can drown very quickly - in the time it takes to answer the telephone. Of all preschoolers who drown, 70% are in the care of one or both parents at the time of the drowning; 75% are missing from sight five minutes or less.

Hillsborough County Fire Rescue believes all adults and teenagers should learn infant and child CPR. The following are tips on making your pool safer to help you guard your children from drowning. Call 744-5541 for more information, or to have a free Pool Safety Survey conducted.

To protect kids from drowning:

• Make sure pools and spas have four-sided fencing at least 4 feet high with self-latching locks, separating the pool from the house and any play areas.
• Keep the area outside the fence clear of riding toys or chairs that a child will push up to the fence to give him a boost to climb over.
• Never leave children unattended, not even for a minute. Require 100% adult supervision during all water activities. Designate an adult “Pool Watcher” that will refrain from alcohol intake.
• Have a portable or cellular phone poolside so you will not be tempted to run inside to answer the phone. Also, it is more convenient in the event of an emergency, to call 9-1-1.
• Keep rescue equipment by the water - poles, ropes, floatation devices, and first-aid equipment.
• Have a qualified instructor teach children over age 4* how to swim. If you don't know how to swim, you will also need to learn. Swimming lessons will NOT make your child "drown-proof".
• Teach kids water safety habits - no running, pushing, roughhousing, jumping on others, etc.