Roxie's Swim Safe Ordinance
On June 28, 2022, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved the "Roxie's Swim Safe Ordinance" in honor of 6-year-old Roxie Forbes, who drowned at the swimming pool of a children's summer day camp in Los Angeles County. This new ordinance applies to the County Unincorporated Areas and any city that adopts the ordinance.
The following new requirements become effective January 1, 2023:
- Owner or operator of any public pool or public swimming area must immediately notify the Department of Public Health in the event of a fatal or non-fatal drowning incident.
- All public swimming pools that require lifeguard services, and all children's camps and schools that have public pools and public swimming areas, must implement Aquatic Safety Plans and require training in CPR and first aid; and
- Public pools located at children's camps and schools must provide lifeguard services.
The following locations require lifeguard services and the development and implementation of Aquatic Safety Plans.
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Public swimming pools:
- At and used by day camps and overnight camps for children.
- Located at schools.
- Where a direct fee is charged for use.
- With an induced current or wave action, including wave pools.
- Located at or used by juvenile detention facilities.
- Where alcohol is served (e.g., hotel pool).
- Lazy Rivers and Water Slides.
- Public swimming areas when open or in use (e.g., Santa Fe Dam).
Aquatic Safety Plan Templates
Aquatic Safety Plans must include the following:
- Aquatic Safety Plan Cover Sheet
- Pool Areas Staffing Plan - designates how pool staff maintain the public swimming pool in a safe condition
- Accredited Lifeguard Plan - designates lifeguard responsibilities
- Lifeguard Staffing Plan - designates the number of on-duty lifeguards and rotation schedule
- Emergency Action Plan - designates how pool staff will respond to emergency situations
- Biohazard Action Plan - designates how pool staff will decontaminate pool waters after a biohazard event
- Accidental Chemical Release Plan - designates how pool staff will respond to accidental chemical releases
- Aquatic Safety Plan Staff Acknowledgement Template
Sample templates for these plans are available for downloading (click on links above). Pool operators may use their own format for these plans, but they must include all required elements.
Notification Requirements
In the event of a near-drowning, which requires transportation to a medical facility or a drowning, at a public pool, the incident must be reported to the Recreational Waters Program at (626) 430-5360 within 24 hours.
Records of all lifeguard rescues where the lifeguard entered the water and activated the Emergency Action Plan must be maintained by the pool operator for a minimum of 2 years.
Resources
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To learn more about drowning prevention, please visit our Drowning Prevention Page.