TAMPA, Fla. – Summer pool season is right around the corner, and local officials are hitting the ground to make sure neighborhood pools are actually safe for kids.
Hillsborough County is teaming up with the cities of Tampa, Temple Terrace, and Plant City, along with the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County, to launch an initiative called “Safe Pools Day Tampa Bay.”
Starting at 9 a.m. on Friday, May 22, code enforcement officers from all across the county will begin inspecting community pools. They will be visiting apartment complexes, subdivisions, condominiums, and townhouses to check for proper fencing, clear warning signs, safe drain covers, and clean water. While pool owners can get fined or cited for breaking the rules, officials say the main goal of the sweep is education and fixing problems before anyone gets hurt.
READ: Don’t Sink Your Summer: Free Safety Checkups And Free Life Jackets In Riverview This Friday
The timing is critical. May is Water Safety Month, and Florida currently leads the entire country in drowning deaths for children aged 4 and under. Safety experts note that the vast majority of these tragedies can be stopped.
With hurricane season also starting on June 1, the Children’s Board is urging parents to think about pool safety now. They advise families to add pool rules to their storm evacuation plans, especially if they have to flee to a house or hotel that has a pool.
The official kickoff for the safety sweep takes place Friday morning at the Loretta Ingraham Center and Pool, located at 1611 N. Hubert Ave. in Tampa.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
