Title: Safe Kids Canada
1Municipal Child Injury Prevention Advocacy
Four-sided pool fencing laws
Denyse Boxell and Rebecca Nesdale-Tucker, Safe
Kids Canada Date May 2007
2Outline
- Safe Kids Canada - Public Policy and Advocacy
- Safe Kids Week Campaign 2007
- Drowning prevention and four-sided pool fencing
- Municipal governments
- Build a coalition
- Gather the evidence
- Determine a strategy
- Raise awareness
- Demonstrate support to decision-makers
- Questions and Discussion
3Our Main Goals Safe Kids Canada
- To increase public awareness of knowledge and
action regarding proper safety practices - To advocate for measures that will create safer
environments and improve compliance with proper
safety practices - To stimulate local action by providing services
to those working in injury prevention at the
community level - To provide and promote child injury prevention
strategies and tools to targeted audiences - To prevent unintentional injury to children and
youth
4Advocacy for Injury Prevention
- Advocates can take action to make Canada the
safest country in the world to live, learn, play
and travel - Reducing injuries efficiently requires a
multi-faceted approach combining the three Es
- education, engineering and enforcement - Safety can be built in Safety requires
healthy public policy, a safe built environment,
safe product design, well-enforced laws and
regulations
5Municipal issues in child and youth injury
prevention
- Injury prevention issues with a municipal focus
include - Pedestrian Safety
- Playground Safety
- Helmet Safety
- Pool fencing Safety
6Drowning Call to Action!
7Safe Kids Week 2007
- Goal of advocacy campaign
- Increase information to target audience(s) about
the need for pool-fencing safety laws
four-sided with self-closing, self-latching gate. - Build capacity for enactment of laws municipal
by-laws with municipal enforcement and/or
provincial minimum standards enforced at the
municipal level. - Reduce water-related injury and death.
8Safe Kids Week 2007
- Theme Drowning Prevention
- Defining the Problem Pool drowning
- Drowning is the second leading cause of injury
death to Canadian children. Swimming pools are
the site of nearly half of all drowning and
near-drowning incidents for children age 14 and
under, measures must be taken to reduce drowning
in these environments.
9Identifying Solutions drowning prevention
- The only passive prevention strategy that has
been shown to significantly reduce drowning in
home pools is four-sided fencing with a
self-closing and self-latching gate.
10The Problem - backyard pools
- Pools are a particular hazard for children under
age five when the pool can be reached directly
from the house. Children wander into the pool
area when they are momentarily out of sight. - Drowning can happen quickly and silently
children who survive a near-drowning (submersion
injury) frequently have long-term side effects
from brain injury, due to a period of time
without breathing.
11Problem - Solution
- Many residential pools fencing laws in place in
Canada require only three sided perimeter,
fencing and as such do not protect the children
who live in the house with the pool. - At minimum a 1.2 m (4ft) high, four-sided fence
that completely encloses the pool with a
self-closing and self-latching gate is proven to
help prevent children from reaching the pool.
12Solution
- Researchers estimate that proper fencing around
pools could prevent 7 out of 10 drowning
incidents in home swimming pools for children
under age 5. - Public pools are covered by separate regulations
13Snapshot safer pool fencing laws
- International
- Australia, France and New Zealand have put
legislation in place requiring safer pool
fencing. - Canada
- No national laws
- No provincial laws in place
- Patchwork of municipal laws
14Municipal Action examples of safer bylaws
- Safer Pool fencing bylaws Ontario
- Mulmur
- Peterborough
- Oakville
- Anticipated in French River
15Decision-makers
- Safe Kids Canada and our partners urge municipal
governments to enact and support four-sided pool
fencing laws requiring barrier fencing with
self-closing, self-latching gates to reduce child
drowning rates. - Provinces could mandate a minimum level of
pool safety. Quebec has been investigating a
province-wide law. There is a private members
bill in Ontario which, if passed, would require
pool fencing in every municipality. This law
would require a minimum standard which
municipalities could exceed. As with other
building/permit issues, enforcement would likely
be at the municipal level.
16Municipal Governments
- Municipal planning is critical to quality of life
in Canada as municipal government shapes the
communities in which we live
17Municipal Jurisdiction
- Municipal Government is a corporation that has
defined geographic boundaries and an elected
council. It has the ability to collect property
taxes and to deliver services. - The primary source of authority for municipal
governments is the Municipal Act. - Many other provincial laws and regulations
delegate powers to the municipality including
building codes.
18Municipal Council
- Who forms municipal government?
- A head of council (Mayor or Reeve)
- A varying number of councillors
19Municipal Council
- What does a municipal council do?
- Legislates Enacts policies that direct the
operations of the community through resolutions,
by-laws and budgets - Executive functions Initiates proposals for
municipal action, administers programs and
policies
20Municipal Mayors / Reeves
- The mayor is usually elected at large
- Acts as head of council and as spokesperson
- The mayor has a regular vote (in some provinces a
veto power)
21Standing Committees
- Made up of members of council
- Provide a forum for public input
- Provide advice to rest of council
- Link council and administrators
22Municipal Government
- Fencing laws are typically found at the municipal
level in Canada. - By-laws are enforced at the municipal level.
- It appears that many municipal fencing laws,
where they exist, deal with property/perimeter
fencing. Self-closing, self-latching gates
should be specified. - Fencing must also protect the children in the
home with the pool.
23Your Communitys Pool Fencing By-law
- Does it need changing?
- Is there a pool fencing by-law in place?
- Is it comprehensive?
- Do people know about it?
- Is it enforced?
24Comprehensive By-law Key features
- Clearly specifies 4-sided pool fencing
- Requires a self-closing and self-latching gate
- Minimum height of 1.22m (4 feet)
- By-law covers in-ground, above-ground, inflatable
and spa pools/Jacuzzis - Specifies fence construction that inhibits
climbing - Requires retrofitting of 4-sided fencing for
existing pools
25Action next steps
- Do you need
- A new by-law?
- An amendment to your current pool fencing by-law?
- And/or plan to promote and enforce the by-law?
26The Incremental Approach
- Changes in public policy are often made
incrementally. - To be successful, asks are often refined.
- We make gains and build upon them.
27Municipal Advocacy Activities
- Share background documents
- Letter writing to council
- Public speaking
- Work with the media
- Collaborate with other groups who can help to
influence municipal policy - Use tools for local action
- Meet with decision-makers
28Coalition Building
- Change the local by-law in your area
- Speak with other concerned people or
organizations about how you can protect local
kids from drowning - Work together to encourage your community to
require the installation 4 ft (1.2m), four-sided
fencing around home swimming pools with a
self-closing and self-latching gate.
29Ideas for membership / consultation
- Safety groups (Red Cross, LifeSaving Society)
- Local leaders
- Councillor (s)
- Permit officer, By-law enforcement officers
- People with personal experience of the issue
- Public health
- Medical personnel
- Chief administrative officer
- Fencers
- Provincial/ Territorial municipal associations
30Pro and Con understanding stakeholders
- Advocates
- Stakeholders
- Decision-makers
- Influencers
- Opponents Be prepared with counter-arguments
31Pool Fencing - known supporters
- Safe Kids Canada
- Safe Kids Worldwide
- The World Health Organization
- Canadian Red Cross
- Life Saving Society
- Pool And Hot Tub Council of Canada
- Safe Communities Canada
- SMARTRISK
- ThinkFirst Canada
32Supporters continued
- Institut national de santé publique du Québec
- MPP Lou Rinaldi, Northumberland, Ontario
- AHSC Trauma Program
- Alberta Centre for Injury Prevention and Control
- Atlantic Network for Injury Prevention
- IMPACT, Manitoba
- BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit
- Plan-it-Safe, Childrens Hospital of Eastern
Ontario - Child Safety Link, Nova Scotia
- Canadian Parents (81 majority of those polled)
33Public Support National Survey
- Safe Kids Canada worked with Decima Research to
understand how Canadian parents feel about
mandatory safer pool fencing. - Participants were asked
- Would you approve changing laws to make
four-sided fencing around swimming pools
mandatory?. - Results A resounding 81 per cent would approve
changing laws to make four-sided fencing around
home swimming pools mandatory. Nearly half (48
per cent) of Canadian parents polled have a pool,
a spa, or a hot tub.
34Gather the Information
- Pull together the information that you need to
make your case - Research
- Drowning facts
- Benefits of fencing
- Costs of fencing
- Costs of doing nothing
- Local stories and opinion
35Plan Your Strategy
- Plan your strategy to influence decision-makers.
- Use the resources at your disposal to make
change - Human
- Financial
- Tools
- Templates
- see our municipal guide
36Plan
- Target people
- Target dates
- Delegate tasks
- Strategy development
- Who, how, where, when
- Timing can be important think about election
schedules etc.
37Public Support - Local
- Garner and demonstrate support in your community
- Petitions
- Testimonials
- Letters of support
- Public meetings / surveys
- Committee participation
- Familiarize yourself with arguments for and
against mandatory pool fencing - see the
Frequently Asked Questions included in your
partner update.
38Meetings with Politicians
- Build Rapport
- Learn what you can about them and their record on
safety issues before you go - Position yourself as a resource
- Be organized to provide key messages and
information (facts sheets, briefing notes) - Position the issue in the context of politicians
constituents and the municipalitys strategic
plan - Try to keep meeting small, be aware of how much
time you have - Debrief, prompt follow-up with letter thank you
39Presenting to Council
- Consider making an appearance or delegation in
front of council. Council meetings are generally
open to the public. You may be required to
register your intention to present, submit a
letter and/or brief prior to an appearance. - Councils may also hold meetings to talks about
particular issues. - Be prepared with your presentation respect time
limits. - Be prepared to answer questions that the council
may have about your proposal.
40Ask your representative to take action
- Encourage your municipal councillor, alderman,
mayor or reeve to present the proposed by-law to
council. - Equip your representative with a presentation and
the specific wording for the new by-law,
amendment or resolution.
41Resources templates and tools
- Safe Kids Week 2007 Resources
- Petition form
- Model by-law and checklist
- Fact sheet
- Discussion document
- Fencing diagrams
- Chart of current pool fencing laws
- Sample letter (To send to Council personalized
letters are best!)
42Resources templates and tools
- Matte story
- Presentation on pool fencing
- Municipal Advocacy Guide
- Sample resolution
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- SKW 2007 partner updates
- Sample pamphlets pool fencing and by-law
compliance - www.safekidscanada.ca
43Discussion
- Outstanding issues
- Questions
44Thank you!
- Thank you all for joining us!
- Safe Kids Canada/SecuriJeunes Canada
- 1-888 SAFE TIPS
- (1-888-723-3847)
- www.safekidscanada.ca/www.securijeunescanada.ca
- fax 416-813-4986