OVIEDO, Fla. — The Oviedo Fire Department is taking steps to help save children from drowning.
▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS
Statistics show that Florida leads the country in drowning rates among children under the age of nine years old.
Experts say kids are naturally curious about water and can easily drown in backyard swimming pools, lakes, and ponds when left unattended.
READ: Leaders announce East Orange County residents will have access to broadband internet
Thanks to a donation from the non-profit water safety organization, the Wesley Seth Foundation, the Oviedo Fire Department hopes to make child drowning deaths more preventable.
They’ve received a batch of window and door alarms that are now available for Oviedo residents to install in their homes.
READ: New law seeks to protect kids online, but parents remain final defense
That alarm immediately activates if a door or window where it’s installed opens, making sure kids don’t go unnoticed if they manage to get outside while left unattended.
A similar type of alarm recently helped Volusia County deputies save a young boy with autism who wandered into a pond near his home.
READ: Central Florida Spotlight discusses school safety with OCPS superintendent
Anyone interested in getting one of the alarms just has to fill out the interest form here.
The fire department will then say when the alarm is ready for pickup as long as the supplies last.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2024 Cox Media Group
