As Arizona enters another high-risk summer swim season, nonprofit groups, utilities, fire departments and pool industry organizations are continuing to expand programs aimed at installing free residential pool fences for families with young children.
Child Crisis Arizona and Salt River Project (SRP) are once again offering free pool fences to qualifying Phoenixarea families during their 5th annual Pool Fence Safety Program.
Applications for the current round closed April 5, but the program remains active heading into the summer, with another application review round scheduled for Sept. 14, according to Child Crisis Arizona.
The initiative operates through a partnership involving State Farm, local firefighter charities, Safe Kids Maricopa County and the Independent Pool & Spa Service Association.
The push comes after what organizers described as a record drowning year in central Arizona. Program materials released this year stated that 79 adults and children drowned in Maricopa and Pinal counties during 2024 — the highest total recorded since tracking began in 2005.
“Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 and remains among the top five causes of death for children ages 5 to 9,” Caitlin Sageng, senior program director at Child Crisis Arizona, said in program materials.
According to Child Crisis Arizona, the program awarded pool fences to about two dozen families last year.
The effort reflects the increasing emphasis Arizona water-safety organizations are placing on residential pool barriers as a primary drowningprevention strategy, particularly in a state with year-round swimming weather and one of the nation’s largest concentrations of backyard pools.
“As pool professionals, we know that proper barriers save lives,” Chuck Schoch of the Independent Pool & Spa Service Association said in program materials. “It’s about giving back, family to family.”
Families seeking assistance usually:
• own and occupy the home;
• reside within the Phoenix metro area or Maricopa County;
• have a child age 6 or younger living in the home;
• meet income-qualification requirements;
• and submit at least one bid from a licensed and bonded pool-fence contractor.
Program materials state that fences are awarded based on available funding. Applicants may qualify through participation in programs such as Medicaid, WIC, food assistance, unemployment assistance or energyassistance programs. Household income documentation may also be used to determine eligibility.
The application materials also emphasize that donated fences are intended primarily as safety barriers rather than aesthetic upgrades.
In addition to physical barriers, participating organizations continue promoting water-safety education, CPR awareness and swim lessons throughout Arizona’s extended swimming season. Program participants are encouraged to complete online water-safety courses and may receive additional drowningprevention resources through partner organizations.
“At SRP, we understand that drownings aren’t limited to the summer months,” SRP community engagement strategist Rori Minor said in program materials. “Pools can be dangerous all year long.”
