City of Glendale - News

Be Water Wise Around Your Pool!

Glendale Firefighters offer the following pool and swimming tips to keep your family safe

When it comes to keeping children safe around water, the Glendale Fire Department offers a wealth of knowledge and the latest drowning prevention techniques. “The leading cause of injury-related death for children under the age of 5 in Arizona is drowning. Our goal is to prevent all drownings in the city of Glendale,” says Glendale Fire Chief Mark Burdick.

Glendale Fire Captain Eric Keppler installed a safety net over his pool to keep his 16-month-old daughter safe. The safety net covers the entire pool and will catch his daughter if she falls over the edge. As additional safeguards, Captain Keppler also has self-closing pool gates and a self-closing arcadia door that can only be opened by pulling a lever placed high up on the door.

“Taking these precautionary measures is important, however, the only insurance a parent has against their child drowning is to watch them around water at all times,” Keppler says.

According to The American Academy of Pediatrics, 67 percent of drownings occur in backyard pools or tubs. In addition to never leaving a child alone around water, the Glendale Fire Department recommends that every parent teach their children to swim and learn CPR. Parents should also take a cordless phone outside with them when watching children around water.

For pricing information on these safety devices, please contact your local pool vendors.

The Glendale Fire Department offers these safety tips to keep children safe around water:

Around the House Water Safety

• Avoid standing water. A child can drown in 1 to 2 inches of water!
• Never leave a child alone in the bathtub.
• Empty all buckets and pails.
• Close toilet lids.
• In case of a drowning, call 911.

Backyard Pool Safety

• Never leave children alone around water.
• Fence your pool and latch your gate.
• Secure doors, gates and pet doors that are leading to the pool area.
• Empty inflatable pools when not in use.
• Know where your child is at all times.
• Teach children how to swim.

Take the Pledge

CLICK HERE to download a printable PDF version of the Glendale Fire Department's Water Safety Pledge Certificate.  

Our Water Safety Reminders are listed below; read and discuss each one with your entire family.  Trace a parent and a child's handprint onto the certificate, sign and date it. Hang the certificate in a place where you look at it often to remind you and your family of your promise to be "Wise Around Water."  

1.  Children and adults should never swim alone, even if they know how to swim. Children should never swim or go near water without an adult.

2.  Children who cannot swim should wear life safety vests whenever they are in, or near the water.

3.  Enroll your children in swimming lessons.

4.  Designate a "Water Watcher" whenever you have people in your pool - someone who is dedicated to watching everyone in the water. Don't assume there is someone watching just because the pool is full of people.

5.  Remember, children can drown in as little as one inch of water. Always close toilet lids, empty buckets when you are finished with them, and never leave children alone in the bathtub. Pool toys like water wings and inner-tubes are not life-saving devices, they are novelty toys. Your child is in danger of drowning if they let go, slip out, or the toy deflates.

Always practice the "ABC's of Water Safety"  

A - Adult Supervision - "Eye to Eye" contact with your children at all times

B - Barriers - Fence your pool, install a self-closing, self-latching gate and lock it when the pool is not in use. Lock all windows and doors that lead to the pool.

C - Classes - Learn CPR and enroll your children in swimming lessons.  

The Glendale Fire Department is hosting a number of Water Safety Events in the near future, please join us:  

May 10th – Glendale FD will visit the Family Church community safety event with water safety education. 6115 N. 91st Ave.

May 10th – Glendale FD will visit the Honey Baked Ham community event with water and car seat safety education.  51st Ave. / Olive  

May 12th – Glendale FD will visit Food City with Ninos Segundo for “Be Wise Around Water” safety education event 6020 N. 59th Ave. Glendale

May 22nd – Glendale FD will visit the Glendale Main Library at 5959 W. Brown for story time with "Stewie the Duck Learns to Swim"  10:30-11a.m. 

May 24th – The City of Glendale Parks and Recreation Department is teaming up with Glendale Fire to bring "Glendale Water Safety Day" to the Rose Lane Aquatics Center- 5003 W. Marlette Glendale 11a.m.-2p.m.  Free swimming, safety booths, rescue demonstration and emergency apparatus display.

City of Glendale Pool Ordinances

(language taken from city of Glendale's official ordinance)

Sec. 32-3. Barriers and enclosures.
(a) Required. No person in possession of land within the city, either as owner, purchaser under contract, lessee, tenant or person licensed to use the property, upon which is situated a swimming pool or other outside contained body of water designed or used for swimming, dipping or immersion purposes, with a minimum depth of eighteen (18) inches, shall fail to maintain on the lot or premises upon which such pool or body of water is located a barrier meeting the requirements set forth in this section 32-3.
(b) Minimum Requirements. Except as otherwise provided, all swimming pools or other contained bodies of water shall meet all of the following requirements:
(1) Be entirely enclosed by at least a five (5) foot wall, fence or other barrier as measured on the exterior side of the wall, fence or barrier. A dwelling house or accessory building may be used as part of such enclosure.
(2) Have no openings in the wall, fence or barrier through which a spherical object four (4) inches in diameter can pass. The horizontal components of any wall, fence or barrier shall be spaced not less than forty-five (45) inches apart measured vertically or shall be placed on the pool side of a wall, fence or barrier which shall not have any opening greater than one and three-quarter (13/4) inches measured horizontally. Wire mesh or chain link fences shall have a maximum mesh size of one and three-quarters (13/4) inches measured horizontally.
(3) Gates for the barrier or enclosure shall:
a. Be self-closing and self-latching with the latch located at least fifty-four (54) inches above the underlying ground or on the pool side of the gate with a release mechanism at least five (5) inches below the top of the gate and no opening greater than one-half (1/2) inch within twenty-four (24) inches of the release mechanism.
b. Open outward from the pool.
(4) The wall, fence or barrier shall not contain openings, handholds or footholds accessible from the exterior side of the barrier that can be used to climb the wall, fence or barrier.
(5) The wall, fence or barrier shall be at least twenty (20) inches from the water's edge.
(c) Maintenance. Barriers and enclosures required by this section shall be maintained in proper operating order by the owner or occupant.
(d) Openings larger than forty-eight (48) inches. Gates or doors opening through the enclosure required by paragraph (b) above which are greater than forty-eight (48) inches in width may be secured by a padlock or similar device which requires a key, electric opener or integral combination in lieu of being equipped with a self-closing and self-latching device as set forth in paragraph (b) above.
(e) Exemptions. This section does not apply to:
(1) A system of sumps, irrigation canals, irrigation, flood control or drainage works constructed or operated for the purpose of storing, delivering, distributing or conveying water.
(2) Stock ponds, storage tanks, livestock operations, livestock watering troughs or other structures used in normal agricultural practices.
(3) Public or semi-public swimming pools.
(4) Lakes or decorative ponds.
(f) Notice. A person shall, on entering into an agreement to build a swimming pool, spa, hot tub or other contained body of water or to sell a dwelling with a swimming pool or contained body of water, give the buyer a notice explaining safety education and responsibilities of pool ownership as approved by the department of health services and a copy of this chapter 32 of the code of the City of Glendale.
(g) Violations. A violation of any provision of this section 32-3 shall be deemed a class 1 misdemeanor offense.
(Code 1963, §§ 27-2, 27-3; Ord. No. 1683, § 2, 4-23-91; Ord. No. 2046, § 2, 12-8-98)

Sec. 32-4. Secondary protection.
(a) Application. The provisions of this section shall apply to swimming pools, spas, hot tubs or other contained bodies of water (above or below ground) when a residence or living area, in which a child younger than six (6) years of age will, or does, reside, constitutes part of the barrier or enclosure required by section 32-3 and:
(1) Such swimming pool, spa, hot tub or other contained body of water is constructed or installed after the effective date of this provision at a single family residence; or
(2) An existing swimming pool or other body of water lawfully constructed prior to the effective date of this section, but which does not conform to these regulations, shall become subject to these regulations as a result of any alteration, addition, or expansion of a dwelling unit or guest room having access to such pool, that increases the livable floor area; or
(3) The existing single family residence is sold.
(b) Requirements. When an event described in paragraph (a) above occurs, one (1) of the following methods of secondary protection shall be provided:
(1) Between the swimming pool or other contained body of water and the residence or living area, a minimum five (5) foot wall, fence or barrier to the pool area which meets all of the requirements of section 32-3(b), subparagraphs (2) through (5); or
(2) The pool shall be protected by a motorized safety pool cover which requires the operation of a key switch which meets the American Society of Testing and Materials Emergency Standards 13-8-9 and which does not require manual operation other than the use of the key switch; or
(3) All ground level doors or other doors with direct access to the area containing a swimming pool or other contained body of water shall be equipped with either: (A) a self-closing and self-latching device with the latch located at least fifty-four (54) inches above the finished floor; or, (B) an alarm placed not less than fifty-four (54) inches above the finished floor and which activates automatically whenever the door is opened.
If provided, the alarm shall sound continuously for a minimum of thirty (30) seconds beginning within the first seven (7) seconds after the door and its screen, if present, are opened and be capable of providing a sound pressure level of not less than eighty-five (85) dBA when measured at ten (10) feet in any direction. The sound of the alarm shall be distinctive from other household sounds such as smoke detectors, telephones, and door bells. The alarm system may be equipped with a manual means to temporarily deactivate the alarm for a single opening. Such deactivation shall last no longer that fifteen (15) seconds. An off switch is not acceptable. The deactivation switch shall be located at least fifty-four (54) inches above the floor.
Emergency escape or rescue windows from sleeping rooms with access to the swimming pool or other contained body of water shall be equipped with a latching device not less than fifty-four (54) inches above the floor. All other openable dwelling unit or guest room windows with similar access shall be equipped with a screwed in place wire mesh screen or a latching device located not less than fifty-four (54) inches above the floor; or
(4) An alarm maintained in or on the swimming pool or other body of water. The alarm shall be installed so as to activate automatically whenever a person enters the swimming pool or body of water and remain activated until manually turned off. The alarm shall sound continuously within the first seven (7) seconds after a person enters the swimming pool or body of water and be capable of providing a sound pressure level of not less than eighty-five (85) dBA when measured at ten (10) feet in any direction. The sound of the alarm shall be distinctive from other household sounds such as smoke detectors, telephones, and doorbells; or
(5) The swimming pool shall be an above-ground swimming pool which has non-climbable exterior sides which are a minimum height of four (4) feet. Any access ladder or steps shall be removable without tools and secured in an inaccessible position with a latching device not less than fifty-four (54) inches above the ground when the pool is not in use; or
(6) Latching or locking hard safety cover which may be latched or locked shall be deemed to meet all barrier requirements of this section for any spa or hot tub which is not more than eight (8) feet (2438 mm) in width, length or diameter; or
(7) Alternative protection not specified herein and providing protection meeting the intent of these requirements is allowed when approved by the building official.
(c) Compliance.
(1) All plans submitted to the city for swimming pools to be constructed or installed after the effective date of this section shall specify the manner in which compliance with this section shall be accomplished. Submission of the plans shall constitute verification by the builder and owner of compliance with this section and the manner of compliance.
(2) If an existing single family residence containing a swimming pool or other body of water is sold after the effective date of this section and secondary protection is required by this section, the buyer shall comply with the provisions of this section no later than thirty (30) days after the date the buyer first takes occupancy of the residence.
(d) Maintenance. Secondary protection required by this section shall be maintained in proper operating order by the owner or occupant.
(e) Exemptions. This section does not apply to:
(1) A system of sumps, irrigation canals, irrigation, flood control or drainage works constructed or operated for the purpose of storing, delivering, distributing or conveying water.
(2) Stock ponds, storage tanks, livestock operations, livestock watering troughs or other structures used in normal agricultural practices.
(3) Public or semi-public swimming pools.
(4) Lakes or decorative ponds.
(f) Complaints. All complaints regarding a violation of this section shall be investigated by the fire department.
(g) Violations. A violation of any provision of this section 32-4 shall be deemed a class 1 misdemeanor offense.
(Ord. No. 2046, § 3, 12-8-98)