Company making smart pool gate locks

Too many children are victims to drowning or near-drowning accidents every year in Arizona. Just on Thursday alone, there were three reported incidents. One turned to be fatal.

Drowning is the second leading cause of death in children under 15 years old, and that's why one Valley man decided to create a smart lock for pool gates.

It all began with a tragic story that pushed Kevin Hale and his business partner to figure out a way to make pools safer.

"He heard a story once of a mom who put a child down for a nap," said Hale. "She went to the bathroom, and he woke up. He figured how to open up the back door. The pool gate had been left open by the landscapers that morning, and he tragically went into the pool and drowned."

According to the website Children Safety Zone, more than 150 water-related incidents occurred in Maricopa County in 2016. In 2017, 153 incidents were reported. For 2018 so far, there has been a total of 80 incidents, and 26 deaths.

"We knew that there had to be a device that helped you know when your gate was open, and also provide an extra layer of security to make sure that didn't happen, and that's when we came up with our product GateSense," said Hale.

Hale and his partner created what's called "Halen Smart". A sensor is placed by the gate, and will send an alert to your phone, when your pool gate has been opened or closed.

"You can be notified when there could be a potential threat," said Hale. "It's to be that first response before something actually happens in your pool that you're unaware of."

With the device, you are able to deadbolt the gate, so it cannot be opened from either side.

"This device not only provides security but it also provides peace of mind," said Hale. "Knowing that when your gate is open, when its been left open and knowing you can lock it from anywhere as long as it's connected to your home network."

Halen Smart Lock