Image via WikipediaIf you have installed or modified a swimming pool in NY since December, 2006, you should know that NY law REQUIRES you to install a swimming pool alarm. Although none of us likes to spend more money to buy safety devices, we just have to keep in mind that they save lives and we all know you can’t put a price on that….

Thanks for reading,
Jim Reed
NY Accident & Injury Lawyer
jreed@zifflaw.com

Below is a story that WETM-TV, Elmira, NY, did on this pool alarm law:

NYS Pool Alarm Law Permanent
Reported by: Naveen Dhaliwal

ELMIRA HEIGHTS – New York State lawmakers have finally made a two year old pool alarm rule permanent. If you put a pool in your backyard, you need to have an alarm on it.

State lawmakers passed an emergency ruling two years ago that required all commercial and personal swimming pools to have an alarm system. That ruling expired last month and state lawmakers have now permanently adopted it.

Officials say alarms are required on all pools built or modified after December 14th of 2006. Experts say the temporary blows up pools also need to have alarms.

“Two bolts go into the top rail of the pool, and then the alarm just sits inside. It takes a 9 volt battery. Then there’s a separate remote that plugs into an outlet in your house so can hear it from in the house or out,” says Tom Witzel of Hesselson’s.

The cost of the alarms can range between $200 up to thousands of dollars.

Code enforcement officials say if you get caught without an alarm, you will be given a warning. After that you can get fined up to $1000 a day until an alarm is placed.

Officials say the law was originally put in place because 26 infants and children under the age of 14 drowned in a pool in 2002.