Columbus public health (CPH) licenses and inspects over 800 public pools, spas, and spray grounds within the cities of columbus and worthington to verify compliance with the virginia graeme baker pool…

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) awarded a $200,000 Project Grant under the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety program (CFDA 87.002) to the City of Columbus, Ohio's Public Health Department (CPH). The funding will be used over a two-year period from September 2024 to September 2026 to support CPH's efforts to enhance pool and spa safety in the Columbus and Worthington communities.

Specifically, the grant will enable CPH to increase enforcement of residential and commercial pool/spa compliance, provide educational programs and training for pool/spa operators, and distribute safety equipment and materials to promote safe swimming practices and reduce childhood drownings. The funding will support the employment of a program manager and outreach worker dedicated to the Pool Safely initiative. CPH has previously received $250,000 (2019) and $385,000 (2022) from CPSC for similar pool safety efforts, demonstrating the agency's ongoing commitment to addressing this public health concern in its communities.

Columbus public health (CPH) licenses and inspects over 800 public pools, spas, and spray grounds within the cities of columbus and worthington to verify compliance with the virginia graeme baker pool and SPA safety act (VGBA). This includes pools and spas at community centers, hotels, and apartment complexes. CPH is also dedicated to providing training for pool and SPA operators. We provide free signage and online safety classes as well as pool safely educational materials to reduce childhood injuries and drownings. CPH is committed to using this funding to create evidence of sustainable change in the community by the end of the cumulative two-year grant period. Our environmental health division would like to formally apply for the maximum funding amount of $400,000.00 provided by the U.S. Consumer product safety commission (CPSC) for the pool safely grant program for 09 2024-09 2026. CPH previously accepted $250,000.00 (2019) $385,000 (2022) from CPSC for the pool safely grant program, which helped US to increase enforcement of residential pools, provide educational information to the public, and reduce drowning hazards in the community. We would like to utilize the new funding to increase public readiness in promoting safe swimming in commercial and residential spas and pools by providing education, training, and compliance in both residential and commercial pools, and safety. The funding will support the employment of a program manager I and contracted outreach worker to be 100% dedicated to our pool safely efforts. This opportunity will support CPH to continue enforcement processes bring into compliance unsafe commercial and residential pools and to get kids extensive swimming classes in our disproportionally impacted ZIP codes with the highest number of drownings.