Motion Sensors for Pools Proposed

In response to several recent drownings of young children, Huntington Beach is weighing whether to become one of the first cities in the nation to require pool motion sensors that emit an alarm.

Under a proposal being studied by the city, the alarms would be required on all new pools and whenever a property with an existing pool is sold.

Most cities, including Huntington Beach, require fencing around new pools. But Councilman Dave Garofalo said the motion alarms offer an extra layer of protection.

“It isn’t the final answer,” Garofalo said. “But let’s fix administratively what we can. If you sell a house that has a pool, at the close of escrow the pool needs to have a motion detector.”

Garofalo said the proposal was inspired by the drowning of a 4-year-old boy in February in a neighbor’s pool. It was one of eight backyard pool drownings this year in Orange County alone.

Elsewhere in the region, a 2 1/2-year-old girl and her 18-month-old brother drowned earlier this month during a family gathering in a Rancho Cucamonga backyard. And over the weekend, a 4-year-old drowned during a birthday party at the Malibu home of rock star Tommy Lee. The Huntington Beach proposal comes as pool alarms have come under increased scrutiny by federal regulators.

Only three out of five alarms tested by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission performed well enough to warrant the group’s recommendation, and then only when used with other preventive measures, according to a study completed last year.

The commission found that alarms that measure motion underwater are the most effective. Garofalo’s proposal would require this type, which costs about $350.

Some safety experts, however, warn that parents should not consider the alarms foolproof, because they often give false readings.

“Some systems are very sensitive,” said Michelle Feczko, injury prevention coordinator at Children’s Hospital of Orange County. “If a leaf goes in the pool, they might go off.”

But Garofalo said that any extra measure that might prevent a child’s death is worth the investment. “What’s better, not having it all or the possibility of saving a child’s life?”

Some council members questioned whether the city could monitor the thousands of swimming pools to make sure the alarms were installed and working.

“I like the idea,” said Councilman Ralph Bauer, “but if we do this, we have to have a code enforcement person making sure it’s in working order.”

Councilwoman Debbie Cook agreed. “Of course people want to save lives, but we certainly don’t need the city to hire more people for code enforcement. I’m not sure this is the best way to go about it.”