Florida Summer Safety Tips

Driving Safety:

As traffic on the roads increases during the summer months, keep in mind the safety tips below.

• Refrain from using your cell phone while driving
• Put your cell phone on silent or in the glove box to avoid temptation
• Safely pull over and put the vehicle in Park to take or make a call
• Always wear a safety belt – every trip, every time
• Make sure every passenger is wearing his or her safety belt before you begin your drive
• Children should sit in the back and use the proper child safety seat or booster seat
• Never leave a child or pet unattended in a vehicle, especially during hot weather
• If you plan to drink, designate a non-drinking driver
• If there is a young driver in your family, strictly enforce a zero tolerance policy with alcohol – all states have a 21-year-old drinking age law
• Never get in the car with an intoxicated driver
• Avoid aggressive driving by keeping your emotions in check and focusing on your own driving
• Don’t tailgate or flash your lights at another driver
• Listen to this podcast for tips on driving safely in the dark

Drowning:

In 2010, unintentional drowning claimed the lives of 3,600 people.

• When visiting a pool, water park or body of 
  water this weekend, pay close attention to children at all times – a lifeguard may be present, but they should not be considered a babysitter
• Teach your children to never swim alone or dive into unknown bodies of water and to always use approved flotation devices
• Avoid using alcohol in and around the water – according to CDC, among adolescents and adults, alcohol use is involved in up to 70% of deaths associated with water recreation, almost a quarter of ED visits for drowning and about one in five reported boating deaths

Hot Weather:

• Nice weather is ideal for celebrations 
  but can present serious hazards, especially to children and the elderly.
• Heatstroke and heat exhaustion are serious, life-threatening illnesses characterized by an extreme rise in body temperature
• If you are concerned that someone is suffering from overheating, move them to the shade and call for emergency assistance, if necessary

Shared from:  http://ffinsbr.com/Blog/resources-links/summer-safety-tips/

Tips to prepare your pool for winter

Since it rarely freezes in Florida, you can cover the pool and reduce the filtration time per day and the amount of chemicals added.  Pools today have many options to automate in cold weather conditions; ask a pool professional.
1. Reduce run time to four hours if not heating.
2. Reduce chemical consumption by turning down chlorinator/generator.
3. Run the pump/solar overnight during a freeze warning.
4. Cover pool to reduce heat loss and evaporation at night.

If there is risk of freezing, there are several steps to take.  Contact a pool professional for assistance.
1. Balance the pool water and then shock the pool
2. Remove skimmer baskets, wall fittings, and ladders
3. Drain all pumping, filtering, heating and chlorinating equipment
4. Blow out the lines and plug at the pool and then add swimming pool anti-freeze to the line
5. Cover the pool

Reposted from:  http://www.floridapoolpro.com/pool-care/pools-and-weather/#winterize