• Rules of the Pool
  Don't expect to hear a splash to warn of potential back-yard drownings. Follow these safety tips this summer to avoid tragedy.
• Quiz: Test Your Flash Flood Savvy
  If the rain's heavy in your area, and floods are possible, are you ready? Take our quiz and test your flash-flood knowledge.
  
• Email Hoax Alert
  Not everything on the 'Net is accurate. Here are two good resources to check one recent "tip" on "universal" emergency numbers.
  
• Did You Know?
  Find out what could have saved 70 percent of all boating accident fatalities in 2002. Be prepared this summer if you're on the water.
• Shape Up for Summer
  The summer checklist is short, but important -- don't forget these four maintenance items in your home.
• Now We're Smokin'
  Keep your barbecue safe by avoiding these six common summertime cookout mistakes.
  

Rules of the Pool
Child drownings are silent, says the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, so you likely won't hear any splashing to clue you in that a serious problem is unfolding in your backyard pool. Promote pool safety with these measures:

•  Install a fence or other barrier completely around the pool.
•  Put a loud alarm on all exits leading from the house to the pool. o Check the pool first when a child goes missing-every second counts.
•  Master CPR skills (see below for more information).
•  Keep a cordless phone and emergency numbers near the pool.
•  Put away pool toys when the swimming is finished; toys attract youngsters.
•  Make sure no one -- especially a child -- swims alone.
•  Install a pool alarm system or buy a personal safety alarm for every child.

For more on pool safety, go to www.cpsc.gov. The American Red Cross (www.redcross.org) offers classes on giving CPR to an infant or child.

Email Hoax Alert

Don't believe everything you read in an email. One message hitting people's in-boxes recently tells of a young woman, driving alone on a highway, who foiled a would-be rapist by dialing #77 or *77 on her cell phone to reach police. The email urges travelers to use such "universal" numbers in an emergency. In fact, the numbers work in just a few states. A better bet is to dial 911. Although it's not universal, it is far more widespread. Or get the highway patrol emergency numbers for the states you're traveling through. In Virginia, for example, the number is #77, but in Ohio it's 1-877-7-PATROL and in Nevada it's *NHP. You can link to each state's highway patrol through www.statetroopersdirectory.com. For info on common email hoaxes, visit www.hoaxinfo.com.

Did You Know?

In 2002, 70 percent of all fatal boating accident victims drowned. Eighty-five percent of those drowning victims were not wearing personal flotation devices such as life jackets, which might have saved their lives.

Shape Up for Summer

Warm weather and long days leave no excuses for ignoring these important home-maintenance items:

• Check and repair weather stripping on all windows.
• Look for signs of mold, such as musty smells or watermarks. Clean areas thoroughly with bleach and water.
• Test sump pumps before summer's thunderstorms start.
• Check and replace the hoses on your dishwasher to prevent water damage from a burst hose.

Now We're Smokin'

Barbecue season is heating up, and all across the country outdoor chefs are giving grills their first workouts of the season. Are you guilty of any of these common -- but potentially serious -- mistakes?

• Mistake #1:
  Mistaking the long and short of it.
  The short-handled spatulas and knives that work fine indoors just don't measure up outdoors. Use long-handled tools to avoid splatters and burns, advises the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association (HPBA).
• Mistake #2:
  Ignoring loose ends. The chef should be sure all clothes -- apron strings, shirttails and loose sleeves -- are tucked in, out of the way of flames.
• Mistake #3:
  Adding the wrong ingredient. Never, ever light a charcoal fire with gasoline or kerosene, both of which can explode.
• Mistake #4:
  Not chilling out. Ashes need to cool for 48 hours. If you just can't wait, the HPBA advises removing the ashes from the grill, wrapping them in heavy-duty aluminum foil and soaking them completely in water.
• Mistake #5:
  Heading indoors in bad weather. Never use an outdoor grill in your garage or other enclosed space where carbon monoxide (CO) can build up and kill you. Each year, about 20 people die and 400 are injured from CO poisoning resulting from charcoal grills, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
• Mistake #6:
  Adding fuel to the fire. Never apply more lighter fluid to a charcoal grill after it's been lit, says the HPBA. The flames can ignite the lighter fluid vapors and travel up to the can, causing an explosion.
  
  

Flash Flood Quiz Answers:

1. False. A standard-size vehicle can be set afloat in just 18 inches of water, and trucks and SUVs in as little as 24 inches.

2. False. Road beds can wash out under flood waters, a fact you may not discover until it's too late.

3. False. Flash floods can strike anywhere, from mountain roads to city streets.

4. True. Follow this advice from the National Weather Service whether in a car or on foot: "Turn Around, Don't Drown."

To learn more, visit www.noaa.gov/floods.htm.

For flood insurance contact your MetLife Auto & Home agent or representative or call us at 1-877-638-0022.