When he was a firefighter, Tim Maloney was saddened to respond to child drownings and he knew he wanted to do something to try to prevent these tragedies.
That’s why he and his wife, Gina, started their company, Arizona Pool Fence, 20 years ago. Maloney retired as a firefighter for Phoenix Fire Department, where he had worked for more than 20 years and decided to start the business and educate people about drowning prevention.
“If I can educate and do something to provide some type of protection for kids, I’m going to do it,” he said.
Arizona Pool Fence, based at 1513 W. Hatcher Road, sells mesh, glass and wrought iron pool fences, as well as mesh pool safety covers and pool safety nets. The business also sells pet fences designed to keep furry friends from wandering into the pool. With children and teens on summer break from school and likely staying home more because of the Coronavirus pandemic, it is even more important to boost safety around pools. Arizona Pool Fence also sells self-closing/latching safety gates.
“I manufacture the self-closing system for sliding doors,” Maloney said. “I wanted to be an all-in-one-shop so someone could call us and say, ‘Here’s my house; can you come over and what do I need to protect my child?’”
He said the premium Textilene mesh pool fence is the most popular one that customers buy. It is made of strong materials proven to last in the extreme heat experienced in Arizona. Tim said he educates families about the importance of a parent or designated adult always watching children when they are in the water and setting up barriers to prevent kids from accessing the pool area without adults there to watch them. Padlock or alarm systems can alert homeowners to when a door is open leading to a pool and automatic closing gates with high locks are good for ensuring young children can’t open them.
Arizona Pool Fence donates 10 fences a year to people in need.
Arizona Pool Fence’s warehouse on Hatcher is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays and by appointment only Saturdays and Sundays. To learn more, visit poolfencesinphoenix.com.