MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- Warm weather has moved into the Basin and area pools have opened for the summer, prompting local leaders to focus on pool safety; they are also asking parents to do their part.

Firefighters with the Midland Fire Department spent the better part of Tuesday training- from high water rescues to CPR and drowning prevention- the firefighters got a crash course in summer safety. It’s important, said Battalion Chief Aaron Cox, because four to eight thousand people drown each year in the US, and drowning is the number one cause of accidental death in children under five. Not only can pools be a dangerous place for unsupervised children, but even local roads can also turn deadly amid sweeping summer storms.

“As you have seen this past week these thunderstorms come out of nowhere and turn Wadley into a raging river, so a lot of people get stuck, they’re not prepared- next thing you know they’re stuck in the middle of Wadley, so we’re making sure our guys know safe ways to get in there and rescue people if need be because at the end of the day they have families they need to come home to,” Cox said.

As for pool safety, MFD is asking parents to watch their children around water- make sure they know how to swim and are wearing life jackets, especially in large bodies of water. Additionally, parents are urged to secure their pools, with fences or covers- anything to keep kids out when adults aren’t around.