Lifeguards promote safety and provide rescue services for individuals participating in water sports and other recreational activities around oceans, water parks, and pools. Other services offered by lifeguards include emergency rescue services for natural disasters such as floods and hurricanes. Lifeguard training is a labor intensive process that requires physical and mental strength. However, the rewards of being able to prevent drownings and save lives far outweigh the rigors of training.
Certification
To be certified as a lifeguard, you will be required to complete a lifeguard training course. Upon completion of the course, you will be a certified lifeguard with the ability to save a potential drowning victim. Two organizations that provide lifeguard training nationwide are the American Red Cross and the American Lifeguard Association. Most training sessions are available to the public although some employers provide training on site for the lifeguards they hire.
Lifeguard Training Requirements
In order to be trained as a lifeguard, you must be at least 15 years old. As for physical requirements, you must be able to swim for 300 yards without stopping using a particular set of swimming strokes. This will demonstrate your ability to swim well and follow directions. The training program for a first-time lifeguard covers basic lifeguarding techniques, CPR, First Aid, techniques for supplementing oxygen in an emergency, and information regarding blood pathogens for disease prevention. After you graduate from lifeguard training, you will receive an American Lifeguard Certificate with First Aid that is good for three years and an American Lifeguard Certificate with CPR (for the Professional Rescuer) which is good for one year.
What to Expect During Training
During your lifeguard training, you will be taught rescue skills, how to care for head, neck, and back injuries, CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer, and First Aid. You will learn life-saving skills via videos and through lectures. This type of instruction typically lasts a total of five hours. The physical portion of your training will require you to take a lap swimming test to ensure that you can complete the 300 yard swim; this is equal to 12 laps on a standard size lap pool. After your swim, you are required to retrieve a 10 pound weight following a 16-foot dive.
Completing the Training Program
In order to graduate from the training program, you will be given a test involving three different emergency simulations. First, you will be required to save an active drowning victim. Second, you must save a submerged passive drowning victim. Finally, you will put your knowledge to the test by saving and treating someone with a head, neck, or back injury.
As long as you are a confident swimmer with experience using different swimming strokes, you will have what you need to complete the lifeguard training. As for job-specific skills such as CPR and rescue techniques, you will learn everything you need to be a professional lifeguard during your training. While you may have a specific reason for gaining lifeguard training at the present, such as a job requirement for instance, remember that you will also be learning invaluable skills that will help you for the rest of your life whenever you find yourself in an emergency situation.
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