Eight-year-old Austin Runyon of Belfry, Ky., died August 13 during a birthday party held at the State Park Pool in Chief Logan State Park. The death caused Chief Logan Rec Center Interim Director Terry Mullins to make sure her entire staff was ready in case of an emergency in the rec center pool.
"Even before this terrible tragedy, according to the Logan County Health Department, we have to have one lifeguard for every 30 people in the pool and we have always adhered to that," Mullins said. "I was certified just a couple weeks ago so that would give us an additional lifeguard."
Mullins said safety measures were already in place, but, she has reinforced those measures with her staff.
"When this happened, we had just re-evaluated our safety procedures and, because of the circumstances at the other pool, we are more apt to be aware when the lifeguards are away and the pool is closed that we make sure the pool is emptied and the two entrances to the pool are deadbolt-locked," Mullins said. "And, if a lifeguard has to jump into the pool for a distressed swimmer, they are to notify us here at the lobby area, in case he or she is the only one out there. We do have airhorns out there, but, if anyone is called away from the desk out here, they may not be able to hear the airhorn to call 911 so I'm getting walkie-talkies so they can have them at the lifeguard station and they can buzz the people in other parts of the building for help."
Mullins said all the lifeguards at the Rec Center Pool are vigilant in their safety efforts.
"They were vigilant before the tragedy," Mullins said. "That same day, I noticed there were several light bulbs out and I don't think all the light bulbs were put in by the contractor, so I had an employee go and see what type of bulbs we needed. They were ordered that Friday afternoon. I don't want any shadows on the pool and this was before that tragedy that Friday night. I want to make sure we do everything we can to make sure the rec center pool is safe."
The Chief Logan Rec Center has been booked nightly with pool parties following the closure of the State Park Pool. Mullins said there are five certified lifeguards on staff at the Chief Logan Rec Center, but she has a group from which she can get more lifeguards when needed.
"I have a group now that I can get more lifeguards from," Mullins said. "I have at least four other lifeguards that I can get to come in and work. I did this even before the tragedy, because we have to go by these rules and regulations set up by the Logan County Health Department and the state of West Virginia for that size pool. We've done that all year long. There was one night I had to shut down the pool because we didn't have a certified lifeguard on duty. That was when I realized I needed to get certified because I do not want the pool shut down."
Mullins said the rec center has life-saving equipment, such as an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).
"We have all the emergency procedures in place," Mullins said. "The Logan County Emergency Ambulance Service Authority printed out a booklet for me on emergency procedures for the facility. Every person on my staff, even the receptionists, are AED certified and CPR certified. I had that done almost a month ago, not just for incidents in the pool, but to make sure this staff is prepared for anything that can happen."
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