I posted a story tonight about a community in Indiana. The Forest Park Pool in Brazil City Indiana is now compliant as the pool closes for the season. Which means it was not in compliance all season long. Read this paragraph from the article, Brazil City Parks Board President Ruthann Jeffries believes only 30 percent of Indiana pools were compliant with the law at the beginning of the swimming season and she is now pleased that the Forest Park Pool is now compliant.

Also, I found this interesting as well, The Department of Health signed a waiver, which allowed the pool to open for the season.  So are they saying that the State Department of Health gave them a waiver to open knowing full well they were breaking federal law?  Did I just read that correctly?

I guess I should applaud them for correcting the problem today.  But I do wonder why public pools, waterparks, cities and states continue to flaunt the fact that they are breaking the law.  VGB is law and it should be followed.  There have been many comments over the past year questioning how VGB was written, how the CPSC has handled the roll out and subsequent enforcement, how states are dodging enforcement and how companies needed custom solutions (covers) and manufacturers needed more time to figure out a way to manufacture covers and get them approved but in the end, they are all still excuses for the fact that as many as half of the commerical pools in the US are not in compliance with VGB and that as many at 70-90% of the pools in California and Florida are not in compliance. 

I am sorry, but in my humble opinion, there is very easy fix to this problem.  Start closing down non-compliant pools and/or start levying fines against those pools operating illegally and you will see a sudden and dramatic increase in compliance overnight.  I hope all commerical pool owners will listen and get in compliance.  You may very well be operating a "safe pool" right now with good cover, good systems and good people, but if you are operating illegally all it takes is one child to be hurt and you may be leaving yourself open to major litigation and your insurance company may not honor your insurance.  Isn't it sad, that people need be motivated by their checkbooks instead of by the law or by what is right and safe for children.

I will step of my soapbox for the night.

SFT