Hempstead Town ‘sounds alarm’ for pool safety

Recent drowning deaths on Long Island prompted Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray to remind residents of pool safety codes and tips.
   
Murray, along with Town Clerk Mark Bonilla, kicked off a summer pool safety campaign during a press conference at the Veterans Memorial Park pool in East Meadow on Monday morning.

The meeting was highlighted by a demonstration of a pool alarm in the water. Murray set the alarm at the pool’s edge. A young swimmer then jumped in the water, setting off the alarm. Pool owners in unincorporated portions of the Town of Hempstead are now required to install an alarm, as per a law passed in 2008.
   
“A pool without an alarm is an invitation for disaster,” Murray said. “This law is helping to save countless young lives.”
  
According to the town law, pool alarms are required to emit an 85-decibel alert that detects a child entering the water, as well as a remote device located at a second site in the home.
  
Pool alarms usually start at about $200. Mitchell Skoller, past president of the Kiwanis Club of East Meadow, was on hand to view the demonstration. He emphasized the importance of investing in pool alarms.
   
"I feel it's very important that people who own a pool in their backyards have security for their children because if you turn your back for one second, it could cost a life," Skoller said. "Whatever the cost of this is, is insignificant to replacing a life."
   
The campaign is also being used to promote the town’s swimming lessons provided by pools across the municipality.
   
The supervisor also unveiled a new public service announcement that will air on town cable providers. The campaign, in partnership with Cablevision and King Kullen, also includes a pool safety guide that will be mailed to all residents. Some of the tips included in the guide are: