Lifeguarding is a great career opportunity for many people including teenagers looking for a summer job. In order to be employed as a lifeguard, you must first go through a lifeguard training course, which is offered through various venues, the most popular being the American Red Cross. In the lifeguard training course, you must take the appropriate course as to where you will be employed; whether it is a pool or beach, since they both have different job descriptions and responsibilities. Lifeguard training programs generally consist of around 40 hours of training, although this may vary from state to state.
General Lifeguard Training
If you are wishing to gain employment lifeguarding; no matter what type, you must adhere to various standard practices; such as being physically fit and the ability to handle stress and emergencies as well as how to administer basic first aid and CPR. First and foremost, you must be in good physical condition; and have ways to keep your body physically fit throughout the duration of your lifeguarding career. This is mainly because you must be able to not only swim fast to get to a potential victim, but you must also be able to carry the victim to the shore or the pool deck. Also tying into the rescue of victims is the ability to handle stressful situations without panicking. Nobody wants their rescuer to need to be rescued themselves because of a panic attack from the stress of the rescue. CPR is another requirement of all lifeguards. If a person is drowning and they stop breathing, chances are, they will be able to have a full recovery if CPR is performed correctly and promptly, meaning there is no time to wait for an ambulance. All the lifeguard certification and training courses will teach you how to handle all of these situations.
Training for Pool Lifeguards
One of the more popular types of lifeguards is that of a pool lifeguard; since there are many outdoor and indoor pools, allowing you, the lifeguard to work year round instead of just in the summer time. If you choose to lifeguard at a pool, you will have various types of responsibilities, as with any type of lifeguard, you must be a strong swimmer; and have thorough knowledge of swimming, since some venues require you to also teach swimming lessons. You must also multi-task, watching for victims of drowning, and those who are not necessarily strong swimmers and may need assistance and also watching out for those who may cause an unsafe environment, such as those using profanities or running and horse playing on the pool deck. In addition, you must also be aware of the condition of the pool water itself, checking for the proper PH balances and ensuring the levels are at a safe level for swimming, just another reason why you must take the proper course specifically designed for pool lifeguards.
Training for Beach Lifeguards
When you venture out to become a beach lifeguard, you will go through different lifeguard training than pool lifeguards. While you still must watch out for those in trouble in the water, it is a much larger area of water, therefore; you must keep an eye out for those who are attempting to go past the designated swimming boundaries. Instead of checking PH balances, you will be watching for dangerous sea creatures such as sharks and jellyfish which can cause serious harm to swimmers. In addition to basic first aid and CPR, you must also be aware of how to handle jellyfish stings and shark bites as they require different types of first aid.
