Lifeguard Certification

What is the primary responsibility of a lifeguard?

To prevent drowning and other injuries from occurring at the aquatic facility

Provide three examples of how lifeguards fulfill their primary responsibilities.

* Monitor people who are in the pool
* Enforce the rules
* Respond quickly

List five examples of secondary responsibilities that should never interfere with patron surveillance.

* Pool chemicals
* Assist patrons with safety orientations, swim tests, fitting life jackets
* Cleaning or maintenance
* Records and reports
* Opening or closing duties

List five characteristics of a professional lifeguard.

* Professional
* Mature
* Positive
* Healthy or fit
* Skilled

On stand, lifeguards should…

Always be attentive and sit or stand upright when on surveillance duty

A lifeguard is texting while on surveillance duty and fails to recognize a swimmer in distress. What legal principle could be a problem for this lifeguard?

Negligence

List five steps of obtaining consent.

* State your name
* State your title
* Ask to help
* Explain that you want to assess what’s wrong
* Explain what you plan to do

Validity period of American Red Cross Lifeguard Certification

2 years

List three reasons why it is important to attend orientations and trainings

* Ensure guards know responsibilities
* Ensure guards get practice with equipment and EAPs
* Ensure guards understand rules

What is the importance of guards knowing the EAPs?

To make critical decisions and act quickly

How often should you attend in-service training?

At least 4 hours each month

Benefits of in-service training?

Address skills and issues to get the safety team working efficiently

List four topics that could be discussed during in-service training.

* Water and land rescue skills
* Emergency Response Drills
* Rules and regulations
* Customer service

What items are considered to be personal protective equipment for a lifeguard?

* Gowns
* Gloves
* Masks
* Shields

What equipment should be carried or worn by a guard at all times?

Rescue tubes and whistles

What safety equipment should be easily accessible for a lifeguard while on duty?

Backboards and First Aid kits

What are lifeguards responsible for?

Consistently enforcing your facility’s rules and regulations

List five common rules and regulations at an aquatic facility.

* Swim only when a guard is on duty
* Listen to guard instructions
* No running, pushing, or rough play
* Dive only in designated areas
* No alcohol or drugs

Explain what it means to be “equipped and ready”.

You should have all necessary equipment and stay alert.

List some lake safety checklist items.

Bottom conditions, pier attachments, buoys, safety lines.

Typical rules at a lakefront

No swimming under piers, no fishing near swimming area.

Waterpark safety checklist items.

Test rides, water level, and landing areas

Why should water parks have signs posted at every attraction stating water depth?

Notify people of the risks if they struggle with deep water.

Waterpark rules

Min or max people on ride, weight limit, age requirements.

How is waterpark lifeguarding different than a typical pool?

More people and less accessible safety equipment.

What are the three types of swimmers?

* Distressed
* Active Drowning
* Passive Drowning

Distressed Swimmer

* At the surface
* Concerned expression
* Might wave for help

Active Drowning Victim

* Struggling to keep head above surface
* Panicked expression
* Verticale/leaned back

Passive Drowning Victim

* Floating or submerged
* No movement
* Not breathing

Roving Stations General Use

Crowded zones

Elevated Stations General Use

Single-guard facility

Ground-Level Station General Use

Close to swimmers for easy assists

Floating Stations General Use

Waterfront, patrol outer edge

How fast should a guard reach a drowning victim

30 seconds

How long should it take to reach, extricate, and provide ventilations, why?

1\.5 to 2 minutes, cardiac arrest can happen at 3 minutes

What is total coverage

1 guard for entire pool

What is zone coverage

Multiple lifeguard each watch their specified zone

Why should lifeguards __search or scan__ their zones

Instead of just sitting and watching, you should be deliberately paying attention to warning signs

What can you do to stay more focused on the stand

* Stay in cooler break areas
* Rotate frequently
* Stay hydrated

How can you combat glare on water

* Wear sunglasses
* Adjust position
* Reposition station
* Be aware of how the bottom of the pool normally looks

Why is it important for lifeguard managers to conduct drills to test zones

To make sure lifeguards are able to reach and rescue someone in 1.5 to 2 minutes

What is hyperventilating

Rapid, deep breathing used by swimmers. Guards must intervene

What does RID stand for (reasons victims drown on guard watch)

* Recognition (know the signs)
* Intrusion (secondary duties intrude)
* Distraction (guard is distracted)

How should two lifeguard rotate to and from a stand

Incoming guard scans the zone while waiting and the outgoing guard informs incoming of situations

What is a scanning challenge that only occurs at waterfronts not pools

Murky water scanning

Who provides watercraft training

Facility management

Three strategies to prevent injuries

* Communicate with patrons
* Inform and educate patrons
* Enforce rules

Three ways to determine if a life jacket is appropriate to use

* Swimming ability
* Activity
* Water conditions

Extra rules for areas for young children

* Older children could be too big or rough
* Remind adults to supervise their kids

Extra rules for play structures

* Don’t let it get overcrowded
* Watch to see if patrons resurface after dropping in

Three strategies to ensure safe group visits

* Safety orientations
* Classify swimming ability
* Identify group leaders

Why is it important to educate patrons about safety in aquatic facility

Injury prevention

Five steps for a swim test

* Enter water and completely submerge
* Resurface and tread for 1 minute
* Rotate in circle or orientate towards exit
* Swim at least one lap
* Exit

At waterfronts, what should nonswimmer areas look like

Separate from the swimmer area with a barrier

Water Emergency EAP

Passive Drowning Victim or Active Drowning Victim

Land Emergency EAP

Injury or Illness

5 EAP actions for responsive victim

* Signal
* Rescue
* Report, Advise, Release
* Equipment Check/Corrective Action
* Return to Duty

What should other guards do during a rescue

Assist with water/land rescue, backup zone coverage, clear area

What should other safety team members do during a rescue

Summon EMS, bring equipment, clear area, control crowd, meet EMS

What should go into a report

All factual information about what was seen, heard, and the actions taken

Who deals with media after an accident

Company spokesperson or facility manager

Why could the pool not reopen after an emergency

Not enough guards

What are the 3 steps after an emergency has been resolved

Report, Advise, Release

Reporting after an emergency

Staff involved complete incident report asap and collect info on victim

Advising after an emergency

Advise the victim by giving safety advice or recommend seeing a doctor. (EMS can do this)

Releasing after an emergency

Release after all care has been provided and document release

Waterfront EAP for missing person, check for victim where

Underneath play structures with murky water

Wave pool EAP step

Hit emergency stop button

Winding river EAP steps

Let everyone know to get out or stop coming in asap

Speed slide landing zone EAP step

Alert guard at top to stop sending people

7 steps in water rescue EAP

* Activate EAP
* Enter water if necessary
* Perform rescue
* Move victim to exit
* Remove victim
* Provide emergency care
* Report, Advise, Release

What are factors to consider when entering the water

* Location of victim
* Location of other swimmers
* Condition of victim
* Your location
* Facility design
* Type of equipment needed

Additional factors to consider when entering the water

Water depth and guard station design so you know what kind of jump to use

You are seated on an elevated lifeguard stand in the deep end during recreational swim and spot a passive-drowning victim. The area surrounding your station is clear of patrons and objects.

Compact jump

You are searching your sone from an elevated station when you spot a patron who appears to have a head injury as a result of diving in shallow water.

Slide-in entry

You spot an active drowning victim while searching your zone from a ground-level stand in the middle of the pool where the water is 4 feet deep.

Slide-in entry

You are searching your new zone as you walk toward the elevated stand in the deep end and you spot an active drowning victim.

Stride jump

You have just rotated to a roving station during open swim at a crowded waterfront and spot a swimmer in distress.

Run and swim

Use of simple assist

Sometimes used to help a victim stand or help submerged victim within reach (shallow)

Use of reaching assist

When a distressed swimmer is near the edge of the pool extend rescue tube (deep)

You are approaching a victim who is vertical in the water, near the surface in 4 feet of water. The victim is facing you and appears to be unconscious.

Passive victim front rescue

You are approaching a child who is facing away from you and struggling to keep their head above the water.

Active victim rear rescue

You are approaching a victim from behind who appears to be unconscious.

Passive victim rear rescue followed by extrication with backboard

A victim in the water is not breathing

Always remove a victim who is not breathing from the water as soon as possible to provide care. However, if doing so will delay care, then perform in-water ventilations until you can remove the victim.

4 core objectives in any rescue situation

* Ensure safety of you, the victim, and others
* Use a rescue technique that is appropriate and effective
* Provide an appropriate assessment, always treating life-threatening conditions first
* Handle the rescue with a sense of urgency

What attraction features might impact removal of victim

* Minimal exits
* No ladders
* Long distance
* Waves

Indirect contact

Touching soiled dressing that are contaminate with potentially infectious material

Examples of work practice controls

* Disposing of sharp items in puncture resistant, leak-proof container
* Cleaning/disinfecting all equipment and surfaces used
* Removal and disposal of soiled clothing

Disinfectant solution ratio

1 part bleach 9 parts water

Injury on land procedures

* Size up the scene
* Perform a primary assessment
* Summon EMS if needed
* Perform a secondary assessment
* Provide care
* Report, Advise, Release

6 actions while sizing up the scene

* Check for hazards
* Use PPE
* Determine # of injured
* Determine causes
* Form initial impression (responsiveness or bleeding)
* Determine additional resources needed

When should you move an on land victim

Only when you are faced with immediate danger, you need to get more critical victims, or it is necessary to provide care. (Moving to top or bottom of stairs)

When do you call first and care first

Call first when there is suspected cardiac emergency. Care first when there is suspected breathing emergency.

Call first

* Ages 12+ who are unresponsive
* Child or infant you witnessed collapse
* Child or infant known to have heart problems

Care first

* Unresponsive child who you did not see collapse
* Any victim suspected of drowning

Age classifications

Adults have armpit hair or breasts. Children are older than 1. Infants are less than 1.

Victim is not breathing and has no pulse. When would 2 ventilations before CPR take place.

Suspected of drowning

Blood stops reaching the brain and other organs in __ minutes

3

Brain cell damage and death occurs in __ minutes

4 to 6

Respiratory distress

Difficulty breathing