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'Out Of The Pool!' Phoenix-Area Public Pools Mandate Hourly Safety Breaks

swimming pool
Annika Cline/KJZZ
/
editorial | staff
People in the pool for swim class.

If you plan on staying cool this weekend by going to one of the Phoenix area's public pools, you might notice something unusual every hour or so — a mass exodus, of sorts.

Mark Foote with the city of Mesa said many pools across the country have started adopting so-called “safety breaks.”

"We were having issue with people that would never get out of pool or they would never take the time to do the basic things that you need to do when you stay at the pool — (like) make sure you’re using the restroom, make sure that you’re putting on sunscreen, make sure that you’re staying hydrated," he said.

Foote said in addition to the city of Mesa pools, many other public pools around the Valley use these breaks to help keep swimmers safe.

KJZZ senior field correspondent Kathy Ritchie has 20 years of experience reporting and writing stories for national and local media outlets — nearly a decade of it has been spent in public media.