With spring in full swing, swimming pool season has officially arrived in Clark County, and officials are reminding the public to keep careful watch over children to prevent water-related injuries and drownings.

There are thousands of residential and commercial swimming pools and spas in Clark County, making drownings a year-round concern. Still, the risk increases each spring when the weather warms up and swimming becomes a popular pastime for children and families.

To help promote water safety, Clark County’s Department of Parks and Recreation received a $2,500 grant from the Southern Nevada Chapter of the International Code Council (SNICC) to provide free swim classes for children four years old and younger at select pools. The SNICC is donating $20,000 to eight area governmental entities to provide swimming lessons for young children including Clark County and the local cities. Drowning is the leading cause of injury-related death in the United States among children under age four. The Southern Nevada Health District reports that 38 submersion incidents occurred in Clark County in 2024, 74 percent of them involving children under age four. Most submersions occurred in residential swimming pools.

"We appreciate SNICC’s commitment to supporting drowning prevention in our community,” said Clark County Commission Chairman Tick Segerblom, whose District E includes the Hollywood Aquatic Center in the east Las Vegas Valley. “Teaching children to swim is a life-long skill and a key to preventing drownings. We encourage families to check out the wide range of swimming lessons we offer at our pools and aquatic facilities.”

Clark County's Fire, Building, and Parks and Recreation departments partner with the Southern Nevada Health District and other agencies in Southern Nevada to promote water safety and drowning prevention. Adults are urged to be water watchers whenever children are in or near water. Parents are encouraged to ask about Water Watcher plans whenever they leave their children near water and under the supervision of another adult. The public can download Water Watcher pledge cards on the drowning prevention pages of the Health District's website at www.snhd.info/Health-Topics/drowning-prevention. Pledge cards are also available in County aquatics facilities. Additionally, Clark County Television created drowning prevention PSAs that are airing on CCTV and social media sites, including YouTube in English and in Spanish.  The key steps to prevent drownings are:                                                                    

3. Patrol—Always designate an adult Water Watcher to actively supervise children in the water, including pools, bathtubs, or other bodies of water.
4. Protect—Install barriers between your home and pool, including fences, door alarms, locks, and spa safety covers. Lock doggie doors so children can't crawl through them.
5. Prepare –- Create a water safety plan for your family. Enroll children in swimming lessons, take adult CPR classes, and equip your pool with proper safety equipment including life jackets, personal floatation devices and rescue tools. If an emergency happens, have a telephone nearby to call 9-1-1.

Swim Lesson Registration

Registration for the first session of summer swim lessons at Clark County facilities will open at 7 a.m. on Thursday, May 29, online and in-person. Visit the pools and aquatics pages of Clark County’s website for more information at https://tinyurl.com/yxypn73r. Classes offered to parents of young children for free through the SNICC grant will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis through the website. Clark County offers swimming lessons year-round at the Aquatic Springs, Desert Breeze, and Hollywood Aquatics centers. Lessons are available for children as young as six months to adults. Most outdoor pools offer swim lessons during the summer months. Swim programs and lesson schedules vary at each pool location. Lessons range from beginning skills to get swimmers comfortable in the water to aquatic sports such as swim team, synchronized swimming, water polo and lifeguarding skills.

Summer Lifeguard Hiring

Clark County pools and aquatic centers also are hiring summer lifeguards. For information visit the Parks and Recreation Department’s website at: https://bit.ly/42SAALY.

The public can also learn about Parks and Recreation activities on social media channels such as Facebook: @clarkcountyparks and on X: @clarkcountypark.

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Clark County is a dynamic and innovative organization dedicated to providing top-quality service with integrity, respect and accountability.  With jurisdiction over the world-famous Las Vegas Strip and covering an area the size of New Jersey, Clark is the nation’s 11th-largest county and provides extensive regional services to 2.4 million citizens and 45.6 million visitors a year (2023). Included are the nation’s 5th-busiest airport, air quality compliance, social services and the state’s largest public hospital, University Medical Center. The County also provides municipal services that are traditionally provided by cities to 1 million residents in the unincorporated area. Those include fire protection, roads and other public works, parks and recreation, and planning and development.