CPSC Awards 5 Pool Safely Grants to Combat Pool and Spa Drownings and Drain Entrapments

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Acting Chairman Ann Marie Buerkle and U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23) announced today the awardees of a grant program aimed at preventing pool and spa drownings, as well as drain entrapments. CPSC selected five state and local governments to receive a total of about $1 million in Pool Safely Grant Program (PSGP) grant funds.  This funding will provide grant recipients with assistance for enforcement, training and education of pool safety requirements that are intended to save lives and prevent serious injuries.

FY 2018 Pool Safely Grant Program Awardees

"Drowning remains the #1 cause of unintentional death to children ages 1-4. We know drownings can be prevented. However, the problem cannot be solved alone," said Acting Chairman 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 and drain entrapments. These financial awards will be used in local 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 Representative 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, authorized through the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, (VGB Act), which Rep. Wasserman Schultz authored and led, was passed by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush in December 2007. The PSGP seeks to provide state and local governments with assistance for education, training, and enforcement of pool safety requirements.

CPSC is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of the thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals – has contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 40 years.

To learn more about the Pool Safely Grant Program and the VGB Act visit PoolSafely.gov.  This site has a broad array of free, downloadable information for the general public, state and local officials, the swimming pool and spa community, and the media.

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Release Number: 18-228

SOURCE U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission