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Pool Safety Tips From Melrose Police

"Walk, don't run by the pool," is a cliche for a reason.

As much as a post about pool safety might resonate as filler, more than 200 children drown in backyard pools annually in the U.S. each year, according to the American Red Cross, and Melrose Police says two children in New England have met tragic fates in pools thus far in 2015.

So this might be redundant information, but that doesn’t necessarily make it useless.

In a recent statement, Melrose Police Chief Michael Lyle advised pool owners - even those without children - that…

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  • There should be a 4-foot-high barrier around all backyard pools, as well as a self-locking mechanism that opens from inside the pool area.
  • Pools should be covered, and ladders leading into pools should be removed whenever they’re not in use.
  • Children shouldn’t be allowed to swim without adult supervision. Inflatable arm floaties should always be used by especially young swimmers.
  • Always walk - don’t run, by the pool. That rule is a cliche for a reason.

More info can be found at the Melrose Police Department’s original post here.

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