June 6, 2025: New CPO Campaign
Happy Friday!
The Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA) recently launched a new print campaign for the Certified Pool Operator (CPO) program.
Although the PHTA (formerly NSPF) CPO certification remains the gold standard for pool operator training in Canada and the US, the longer I teach CPO, the more I see confusion with the way the internet ranks search results by way of paid advertisements and creative Search Engine Optimization (SEO) optimization.
Some jurisdictions run the gamut of having very strict pool operator training requirements, specifying minimum course length & provider, whereas others have very loose descriptions of core topics that should be covered, but without requiring any sort of third-party accreditation or competency assessment for quality assurance.
If you are ever looking for CPO training, this is something we continue to offer monthly via Zoom. We are also now offering the CPO Fusion (hybrid) quarterly, and will always deliver in-person classes by request for private or semi-public training sessions.
Here's all the news that crossed my desk this week. You will notice during the summer season, there are a lot more drowning articles. This will taper off when the outdoor pool season ends in the fall.
Influencer Emilie Kiser sues to keep details of 3-year-old son's death private
None of this has been substantiated, but reports online suggest Emilie was out with friends (for the first time since having a baby in March) while her husband was home with the kids when the toddler, Trigg, got outside. Her most recent TikTok prior to the incident shows the inground pool uncovered.
Some reports online suggest when she moved into her new home she installed a pool net for aesthetic reasons when there may be a residential pool fence bylaw in place. Commentors are split between a family's right to privacy after a tragedy like this versus detractors saying - as a momfluencer - she's profited from showcasing her children's life online daily for years, and millions of people have a parasocial relationship with them.
I mention all of this not because I want to pile on, or think an influencer's child dying from drowning is more unique than any other family, but because the media coverage and public discussion of this family's situation is completely unprecedented in the eight years that I've been reading pool news daily. I have nothing to add to this story, but there is the potential for this tragedy to inform water safety conversations in your sphere of influence.
Iowa amusement park’s former owner settles lawsuit over 11-year-old’s drowning
Content warning - details are distressing.
Tourist, 28, plunges 50ft to her death from edge of rooftop swimming pool at luxurious villa in Phuket
Luxury residential pool designer Paolo Benedetti often talks on the Swimming Pool Expert Witness Facebook page about the question of what responsibility do designers have to create safe pool designs? Negative edge pools have come up more than once as a major fall hazard, especially at night or when intoxicants may be involved.
Corner Brook’s new swimming pool is finally a reality
Toronto school board has 66 in-school pools, swimming in deficit
An older article, but a much deeper dive into the topic.
City of Montgomery signs landmark lifeguard partnership agreement with Maxwell AFB
It's great to see non-aquatic organizations recognize that it may be more efficient and safer for community services to tender out lifeguard services to the pool people.
Brit boy, 4, sucked into pool filter at Majorca hotel sparking desperate rescue mission
Non-fatal limb entrapment in Spain. This article reports it was the skimmer, but this article suggests it was the vacuum port ("cleaning system")
Pace of swimming pool closures increasing warn Swim England and ukactive
"76% of the publicly accessible water space lost in the past 15 years has disappeared since 2020, highlighting the escalating crisis facing the sector."
Darlington gym forced to close swimming pool after glass smashed on poolside
Kudos to teams who actually drain their pools for glass, rather than try work arounds. I've written an article about it here, and there's a video discussion here. I also love they have a fine on the books for bringing glass onto the pool deck! Add this to your next bylaw update!
New NYC swimming program to be named for teens who drowned
Alaska man survives being pinned face-down by 700-pound boulder in creek after help from his wife
This is why it's so important to teach lifeguards and other first responders that not all water injuries require full submersion; skills like rescue breaths or airway management may be necessary
Fighting to Keep Fitness Equipment Off the Section 232 Tariff List
The free Léo Lagrange swimming pool in the 12th arrondissement of Paris is back for summer 2025.
It's basically an Intex pool, so I'm surprised this can be kept sanitary as it's not designed for that high volume of usage?
My 6-Year-Old Son Drowned In Our Pool. Here's What I Wish I Had Known To Keep Him Safe.
This one is always a double whammy: Zachary's drowning fatality was due to limb entrapment, but his mom works hard to keep his memory alive by educating others.
I'm playing around with whether or not we should record a weekly news highlight? (This is something I first tried in 2023.) It would not come out in time for the Friday newsletter, but available the week after. Please hit reply and let me know if you would enjoy something like this?
Katie Crysdale
Lakeview Aquatic Consultants Ltd.
PS. June is Parks & Recreation Month. The Alberta Parks & Recreation Association (ARPA) has some great free resource guides here.