Pool Safety

Before we open our pool, I am semi-obsessing over making our pool safe for children and animals. There's the obvious pool safety implements, of course: it is completely fenced with a 5' high fence; the gates entering the pool are self-closing and self-latching; the door to the pool is locked whether or not we're home (unless we're actually on the deck).

But there are less obvious problems that many people don't think of.

Case #1: our door opens onto the back deck to the pool. That's a problem because it's an easy access point for children to the pool. We have two choices: put up removable but secure fencing to block access to the pool (like a big child gate) or put a second (elevated) lock on the door to prevent little ones from opening the door. Here's the fencing: If these fences are truly secure and easy to install/remove, I think the fence option seems convenient. You just put it up when the pool's not in use and we're not around. However, if not, then we'll install a second lock on the door that's far too high for any child to reach. Probably cheaper, of course, but I'm afraid that it's easier to forget.

Case #2: animals can still get in the pool. Although dogs can swim naturally, I read that if they fall in at night, they can panic. Also, frogs and other critters can get confused in pools and drown trying to find their way out. Of course, where there's a need (or someone manufactures a need!), there's someone to sell me a solution! Well, I uncovered this solution, which I think looks neat. There are several brands that make stairs or ramps for animals, including the Scamper Ramp (shown here):
No idea if these work, but I like that it'll save pets and wildlife who may become confused in a pool.

Currently, we have a fancy-schmancy pool cover that you can walk on! It's a winter cover that can withstand up to 200 lbs of weight. It's not made for adults to walk on it, but rather to support the weight of children or animals who might escaped supervision (children) or get over the fence (animals) to venture around/on the pool. It's stretched taut so that no one can get under the cover, too. I really like this cover, but it's a winter cover. Once we open the pool, it's far too difficult to put on-and-off the pool frequently.

I considered a pool alarm (it goes off if anything penetrates the surface, creating waves). However, the literature indicates that it's prone to false alarms (such as on a windy day) so most users end up disabling the alarm. I think we'll save the money and not put in a pool alarm. I will investigate more permanent safety method that will not be disabled.

So, do you have any opinion on what we should do to ensure our pool is incredibly safe? Have you seen or experienced the animal pool ramps? Have you used the secure fences that are easily removed around pools? Any thoughts on pool safety in general that will help me out to make our pool safe for children and animals? :)

P.S. I'm thinking of creating "pool rules" to discuss with all children before they swim. Things like "no running", "no pushing", insisting that children who can't swim wear PFDs, and all the good stuff I learned in swimming lessons many years ago. Or maybe I should discuss expectations with parents? Although most parents I know are well aware of pool safety, so I might not need to have "rules". Could creating "pool rules" be going too far?