Lifeguarding Course

Purpose

To teach participants the knowledge and skills needed to prevent and respond to aquatic emergencies. The course content and activities prepare participants to recognize and respond quickly and effectively to emergencies and prevent drowning's and injuries.

Prerequisites

• Minimum age of 15.
• Swim 300 yards continuously.
• Starting in the water, swim 20 yards using front crawl or breaststroke, surface dive 7–10 feet, retrieve a 10–pound object, return to the surface, swim 20 yards back to the starting point with the object and exit the water without using a ladder or steps, within 1 minute, 40 seconds

Length

31 hours, 15 minutes (including the pre course session)

Instructor

A currently authorized American Red Cross Lifeguarding instructor who has met state qualifications, where required.

Participant Materials

American Red Cross Lifeguarding Participant Manual

Learning Objectives

• Understand the value of behaving in a professional manner.
• Learn how to identify behaviors of a swimmer, distressed swimmer and an active or passive drowning victim.
• Understand the components of an emergency action plan and how to activate it.
• Understand the general procedures for an emergency occurring in the water or on land.
• Demonstrate how to perform equipment-based rescues.
• Learn how to provide first aid and how to care for breathing and cardiac emergencies.
• Learn how to recognize and care for possible head, neck or back injuries.

Certification Requirements

• Attend all class sessions.
• Demonstrate competency in all required skills and activities.
• Demonstrate competency in the three final skill scenarios.
• Correctly answer at least 80 percent of the questions in the three sections of the final written exam.

Certificate Issued and Validity Period

• Lifeguarding/First Aid: 3 years
• CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer: 1 year