Las Vegas - September 14, 2009

Among young children, age 1-4, the leading cause of death is drowning and most often occurs in the family pool. A report on child deaths commissioned by the County Manager's office elucidates the profound fact that there are an average of 10-12 accidental, absolutely preventable child drownings in Clark County each year. County Codes require there to be a fence or gate separating a home pool from the street, this in the interest of protecting public safety. Isn't there an equally serious moral obligation if you have, or care for, young children, to separate the pool from the home and patio?

In the 2007 Child Death Review, in the section about drownings, it says, “In 90% of cases the child was last seen in the house and was subsequently left unsupervised between five minutes and one hour. The average period of elapsed time was around 19 minutes since the child was last seen.”

Drowning usually occurs when one or both parents are home and there is a momentary lapse in supervision and can happen in as little time as it takes to answer the front door or make a phone call. In 2007 there were nearly twice as many drowning fatalities where no barriers to the pool existed. In sixty percent of cases, there was no barrier at all in place.

According to the Southern Nevada Health Department, we have already seen 7 deaths this year among children age 1-17 and all of them happened in the primary residence or at a relative's home. In a recent TV public service announcement, the Health Department states that they recommend a non-climbable five-foot fence and a self-closing fence gate, with latches above a child's reach to isolate the pool from the house.

If you own a pool, you probably spent several thousands of dollars on its construction. Maintenance and utility bills aren't cheap either. But did you know that the single most important and oft-overlooked expense costs only a fraction of all that? Tom Prato, a local iron artisan, custom makes one-of-a-kind gates and fences for high-end clients and has several intricate examples on display at his showroom in the downtown Arts District. His shop Artistic Iron Works also offers a line of "no frills security" code-compliant pool fences and gates and full pool enclosures starting at $895.

“No cost compares to losing a child. I have three kids and seven grandchildren. Every one of our houses has an extra fence around the pool, that absolutely stops a really young kid from getting in there. We expertly install on site so there is no guesswork involved, and they really don't have to be that expensive”

As summer pool season draws to an end, most pools will be winterized, but children don't care if it's winter. The sad truth is that, if a ball goes in the pool, if you don't have a gate, so does the child and proficient swimmer or not makes little difference. In the absence of supervision, tragedies can occur.

* * *

Artistic Iron Works

Hours of operation are 8:30 a.m.. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. The gallery ships products throughout the world. For more information, call (702) 387-8688 or visit www.artisticiron.com.

 ARTISTIC IRON WORKS: SECURITY AND REDUCTION IN ELECTRICAL BILLS

Real Security with Lower Energy Costs

Las Vegas - August 25, 2009

   When you think of security, your mind usually jumps to wrought iron gates and protection for windows, but Artistic Iron Works makes a line of security doors and window coverings that can dramatically lower energy bills by cutting down the amount of desert sunshine that floods into Southern Nevada homes.

    “This is a perfect application for downtown law firms that are essentially empty all weekend or may have support staff that needs that extra level of protection,” said Victor Dearing, senior sales manager for Artistic Ironworks. “This is a real deterrent to criminals. They realize they have no chance to break through because of the metal screening we attach onto the security bars. At the same time, this system dramatically cuts the amount of sun light into the building before it can drive up energy costs. It is a very smart use here in the desert; and it is double smart when it comes to deterring crime.”

* * *

    Established in 1990, Artistic Iron Works is a 33,000-square foot, state-of-the-art ornamental iron gallery and workshop based in Las Vegas, Nevada. One of the most comprehensive ornamental iron showrooms in the nation, Artistic Iron Works is located in the downtown Las Vegas Arts District at 105 West Charleston Blvd., just east of the I-15.

    The company offers every facet of ornamental iron fixtures including iron fences, door and window guards, front entry way enclosures, pool fences and gates, front entry doors/glass, courtyard gates, balcony rails exterior, multi-family stairs, curtain rods, decorative patio furniture, trellises, flower pot racks, wine racks, wine cellar doors, wall art and more. Styles of iron include Renaissance, French, Southwest, Contemporary, Mediterranean and Italian. Artistic Iron Works also offers welding and repair services.

Hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. The gallery ships products throughout the world. For more information, call (702) 387-8688 or visit www.artisticiron.com.

-30-

Contact: Renee Roberts

 (702) 385-7300

(702) 300-6574

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it