Archive for Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Jennifer Thornberry: Craig’s pool rules
To the editor:
This letter is in response to Daveth Young's letter that printed in Wednesday's Craig Daily Press about children not being able to use water wings at the public pool.
The use of outside flotation devices at the pool has been prohibited for as long as I can remember, including when I worked there almost 20 years ago.
They are not allowed for a number of reasons. One reason is that they do give children a false sense of security. Children who cannot swim may find themselves in water that is too deep, and if something happened to the flotation devices, they might not be able to make it to the side of the pool. Yes, the lifeguards are there to protect the swimmers. And they do an excellent job of that.
Just the other day, I witnessed a lifeguard jump into the wave pool to pull a small swimmer back to safety. If a small child cannot swim, and the big pool is too deep, the wave pool is a great place to get comfortable in the water. Many parents love the wave pool because the children can go in as far as they feel comfortable. If the children don't like the waves, the lifeguards are very good about giving adequate warning about when the waves will start.
Another reason the pool prohibits flotation devices is because it is one of the best ways to be consistent. Mr. Young thinks that his girlfriend's children should have been allowed to wear the water wings because they were there with supervision. But what about children who might come without supervision and want to wear wings? It gets too difficult to try to sort it all out. The management at the pool wants to make sure that their lifeguards are spending their time and energy focusing on the safety of the swimmers.
The management at the pool, lead by Sylvia Griffiths, continues to do everything possible to create an environment that is safe for swimmers. Of course there are rules -- lots of them. But if you ask a lifeguard about the rules, he or she can tell you a valid reason for any of them.
Jennifer Thornberry
Former lifeguard, Craig City Pool
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