In the last eight years, more than 200 children, most under five, have drowned in backyard blowup pools.  Dr. Gary Smith, from Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, says the study shows that parents who  hazards from an in-ground or above ground pool don't realize that the same hazards exist for the portable versions.

We spoke with people here in the Syracuse area who do 'big' pools, and were told that many of the rules that apply to them, can also help keep the smaller pools safe. Nicole Streeter, with Tarson Pools in East Syracuse, has these tips:
>A pool water alarm will sound if a child falls in, or even reaches toward the water to retrieve a toy.
>In- or above-ground pools require specific types of fencing, but even if your backyard doesn't have the regulation type, you can add a gate alarm to alert when someone goes into the pool area.
>Water-safe clothes will keep younger children safe.  Toddler-sized 'suits' include inflatable parts to keep their heads above water, and there are also 'suits' that have insertable floatation devices--you take out more and more of the floaters as the child learns to swim.  (These come in bright colors and are much more appealing than standard life vests)
>An adult should always be watching pool activities, no matter what the size of the pool!
>A water safety course will help make safe pool practices routine, and will also teach what to do if there's a true emergency.

And, specific to a backyard pool, the advice is to drain it between uses.  Children can drown in two inches of water, and it's not worth taking the risk of an accident in an unattended back yard.

As we were putting togethr this story, Rural Metro also issued a list of safety tips, for all kinds of summertime water safety.