Now is a good time to remind parents to be extra- vigilant in watching their children around swimming pools and other water hazards.

The family swimming pool is supposed to be for fun and recreation. Unfortunately, drowning incidents annually claim the lives of nearly 500 children under the age of 5. And for every child who drowns, six more are involved in near-drowning incidents resulting in permanent neurological damage, catastrophic medical costs and years of recovery and therapy.

The problem is that many parents are unaware of how to minimize the danger and that a child can drown in less time than it takes to go inside for the phone or a soda.

We commissioned a survey for parents on pool safety and found that only 41 percent said they have "layers of protection" installed around their pools. Because drowning can happen so quickly, there is no substitute for adult supervision supplemented by layers of protection. These include:

-- Install a 4-foot-high fence around the pool with a self- latching gate.

-- Install alarms on gates, doors and windows that adjoin the pool area.

-- Be sure to cover the pool with a secured pool cover when the pool is not in use.

-- Use an approved pool alarm.

Additional precautions include:

-- Never let a child have access to the pool area without an adult present.

-- If a child is missing, always look in the pool first. Seconds count in preventing death or disability.

-- Keep a phone poolside in case of an emergency.

-- Never leave toys in the pool area. They might entice young children to the water.

-- Access to an aboveground pool should be secured and locked, or removed, when the pool is not in use.

-- Secure patio furniture that could be used to climb into the pool area.

-- Instruct baby sitters about pool safety and the use of alarms, door latches and gates.

-- To prevent entrapment, have a professional inspect the drain suction fittings and covers on your pool and spa to be sure that they meet current safety standards.

-- Never leave a child unattended. According to many studies, in nine out of 10 drowning incidents, one or more supervising adults were nearby.