| Wise as an owl |
| There's a new bird in Tarrant County,
Texas - an engaging little owl in baggy swim trunks who urges adults to
"Be Wise, Supervise."
The tag is designed to help keep adults focused on the need for constant poolside supervision and clearly identifies the wearer as the person in charge of the safety of any children in the pool; "While wearing this tag, I accept responsibility for guarding the pool to protect children from drowning. I will not leave the pool area without a replacement." Helpfully, the reverse side of the tag lists emergency instructions for CPR as well as a hotline number that connects callers with local organizations such as a swimming school, the 9-1-1 District and the American Red Cross - all of which are giving away more "Water Watcher" tags. |
| New and old |
| It was quite a menagerie at the official kickoff for the Water Watcher Program: Scads of kids and their parents came to Fort Worth's Pulliam Pools on May 11 for owl tags, free eats, balloons and a chance to meet Gus and Goldie, the water-safety spokesfish of the National Spa & Pool Institute; Longfellow the Whale, sponsored by the American Red Cross; and a cat named Ahhsie from local radio stations AHHS. |
| Hosted by Pulliam Pools and financial-services
firm Bank One, the open house was held to introduce the water-safety awareness
program to Tarrant County's families. But the pool firm hopes to broaden
the program, bringing a water-safety advisory board and a wider-ranging
water-safety hotline to Fort Worth by the end of the year.
In the meantime, that little owl already seems to be doing his part to keep kids safe. "Response to the tag program has been phenomenal!" says Debra Smith, Pulliam office manager. People come by to pick up tags all the time - and make a point of commending the firm's civic-mindedness, she reports. But best of all, Smith says, the tag helps ensure that pool supervision "doesn't fall through the cracks." |
| Where credit's due |
| The Water Watcher tag was first
developed in 1993 at the Children's Hospital of Orange County, Calif.,
as part of a drowning-prevention program, notes Lizz Pulliam, vice president
of marketing for Pulliam Pools, a Fort Worth, Texas, building firm.
"After extensive research, CHOC discovered that a major factor in immersion incidents was the lapse in child supervision," she says. "The year after the Water Watcher tag concept was introduced, immersion incidents decreased by 50 percent countywide. "Millions of people enjoy their pools in complete safety each year," Pulliam continues, "but it's important to stress water safety and the fact that there is no substitute for adult supervision. Often Dad thinks Mom is watching and vice versa - and the tag eliminates such confusion." |
As the mascot of the Water Watcher Safety Program, the owl delivers its
pool-safety message via a special identification tag that adults are encouraged
to wear when watching kids in a pool.
