Fences, nets, alarms and video cameras minimize the risk of a pool accident.
Home Technology
Swim Safe
Technology and innovations take on the role of lifeguard so you can worry less about the water.
BY
Kimberly Stern
PHOTOGRAPHY
Photos courtesy of Katchakid Inc.







Backyard swimming pools can be fun but also dangerous. Pool owners need safety and security precautions to help protect themselves and loved ones against accidents. Today’s marketplace offers many options — from alarms and infrared sensors to pool covers and cargo nets — geared to make pool environments safer.

Grandview’s Sun and Swim Pools has been in business in Kansas City since the late 1950s and has witnessed the genesis of almost every pool product and safety trend available. The safest action a parent or grandparent can take, though, is to teach kids how to swim, says sales manager Kirk Strobel. He took his own children to local YMCA lessons and says they were swimming like tadpoles within three weeks. “When you buy a child a bicycle, you teach him or her how to ride it,” he comments. “When you have a swimming pool, it’s the parent’s obligation to teach a child to swim.”

Pool Safety Products
Beyond that, Kirk says there are a variety of gadgets to help secure a pool, make it more child-friendly and minimize risk. An automatic cover that works with the simple turn of a key is a popular choice that has two distinct advantages. “There’s the obvious child-safety factor of not being able to fall into a pool that’s covered,” Kirk notes. “Maintenance of the pool becomes a bit easier, too, because leaves and other debris collect on top of the cover.”

Again, Kirk cautions that there’s no magic solution to completely ensure a child’s safety or a maintenance-free pool. While the auto cover does its job, pool owners also need to be cognizant of keeping the top of the cover free of water that naturally collects following a   rainstorm or even melted snow in the off-season. He says the cover is an alternative for many people who leave town for extended periods and want to know their pool is secure.

Katchakid Inc. produces the original pool safety net that has a unique four-inch mesh size with a dual purpose. The net is small enough to prevent a toddler’s head from penetrating the net but large enough to discourage movement. In addition, the Katachakid is manufactured to be uncomfortable and abrasive to move on, which further keeps small children from crawling on it. Moreover, parents like the net’s total visibility from top to bottom. 

Pool Alarms and Cameras
Perry Atha, owner of award-winning Atronic Alarms Inc., has seen a tremendous evolution in the scope of alarms and systems available to pool owners. “There are a variety of different types of alarms,” he says. “It’s imperative to alarm doors that lead directly to the pool for optimum security. We sell a UL-certified model that is door-mounted and features a bypass  button within an adult’s reach.”

Perry’s specialty is automated security, and he says that other devices like outdoor beams and motion detectors tied to the system help deter young children and alert pool owners that someone is wandering into the pool area unescorted. 

“We can tie everything to one system so that a homeowner receives a voice alert or a message across their keypad that there’s a disturbance in or around the pool,” he says. “A homeowner can actually set up scenarios of when to activate an alarm.”

High-tech infrared motion sensors can create a safer environment by monitoring youngsters playing in and around the pool. Kirk explains that the device can be set up at various preset perimeters and angles in a backyard, and when an object approaches the pool, an alarm sounds both at the pool and on the in-house receiver. 

Sophisticated underwater wave sensors are also available and can be set to “chirp” or “wail” to alert the homeowner if a pet or even a squirrel has jumped in the pool or that someone is in trouble and thrashing in the water. A remote receiver features a voice announcement or a loud siren. Many pool owners combine a motion detector and underwater wave sensor as an innovative pool alarm system that provides double safety and peace of mind.

Video cameras are often employed for pool surveillance. Perry suggests having at least one camera dedicated to viewing the pool area and integrating it with a DVR to record images at all times. Internet access remote-viewing capability makes it possible to check in even when not home.

“From a practical standpoint, it makes sense to have the cameras tied into the home’s television sets, whether they’re in the kitchen, entertainment room, hearth room or bedroom,” Perry says. “That way a homeowner can just go to a certain   channel and view pool activity.”

Pool Gates and Fences
Del Mosher, sales manager at Community Gates & Security, says that pool security really starts and ends with gates and fences. Pool owners must comply with their homeowners association covenants or municipality requirements when it comes to choosing the height. In addition, he stresses that a hydraulic or spring closure is imperative on a gate door.

“Some clients opt for a self-closing hinge,” Del says. “And, of course, we can put alarms on gates with the locks.”

Pool Insurance
Cindy Jarvis, a self-employed insurance agent, insures many homeowners who have pools on their premises. She says most insurance companies require a fence around a pool with a locked gate.

“It’s also important to remember that a homeowner is liable for anyone swimming in their pool, even if it’s someone who jumped the fence for a midnight swim,” she adds. 

Cindy also recommends that parents consider who is swimming in their pool and their liability when it comes to having the neighborhood kids over for a pool  play date.