Feature Story

November 2018

Nearly $1 Million in Pool Grants Awarded

By Deborah L. Vence

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently awarded five Pool Safely grants to help combat pool and spa drowning and drain entrapments.

The CPSC chose five state and local governments to receive almost $1 million in Pool Safely Grant Program (PSGP) funds, which will provide recipients with assistance for enforcement, training and education of pool safety requirements that are intended to save lives and prevent serious injuries.

The FY 2018 Pool Safely Grant Program Awardees include:

• City of Bridgeport (Conn.): $152,000
• District of Columbia Department of Health (Washington, D.C.): $106,202
• DuPage County (Ill.) Health Department: $182,388
• Florida Department of Health: $249,958
• Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals: $250,000

"Drowning remains the No.1 cause of unintentional death to children ages 1 to 4. We know drownings can be prevented. However, the problem cannot be solved alone," stated Acting CPSC Chairman Ann Marie Buerkle. "That is why I am very pleased to announce the award of nearly $1 million in Pool Safely grants to communities. These grants will help save lives and prevent injuries associated with drownings communities to reduce these tragic deaths and injuries. I want to thank Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz for her advocacy and assistance on this issue."

"Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death among preschool-age children. These deaths are entirely preventable, and it is our responsibility to do all we can to help prevent them. These Pool Safely grants will build on the steps that have been taken through the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act, giving communities the tools they need to promote safety in and around the water," said U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. "I commend the recipients for their efforts to keep their swimmers safe, I thank the CPSC for implementing this critical program, and I look forward to continuing this essential work to save the lives of our children."

The grant program is authorized through the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, (VGB Act), which Rep. Wasserman Schultz authored and led, and was passed by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush in December 2007. The grant program seeks to provide state and local governments with assistance for education, training and enforcement of pool safety requirements.

To find out more about the Pool Safely Grant Program and the VGB Act, visit www.poolsafely.gov.