A Complete Guide On What to Expect from Lifeguard Training

The profession of a lifeguard is considered one of the most rewarding jobs out there. However, being a lifeguard comes with a definite set of responsibilities. 

A lifeguard constantly has to keep an eye on the swimmers, and upon any sign of emergencies, they need to rush to the affected and offer their assistance. Therefore, to prepare lifeguards for their future responsibilities and challenges, they have to undergo intense training. 

If you are someone who is considering becoming a lifeguard, you will have to undergo a lifeguard training course to prepare yourself for the upcoming duties, and you might be curious to know what to expect from your training. If that is the case, keep on reading the article.

What to expect from your training sessions? 

A lifeguard at any aquatic safety training academy has to respond to medical emergencies, injuries, or any potential drowning cases. They also need to enforce the safety rules and maintain law and order. 

Therefore, the basic aspects that comprise the training sessions are:

• Water rescue training
• Injury stabilization
• First aid and CPR

It is also important to note that the lifeguard certifications need to be renewed annually before they expire. 

According to the Red Cross, the minimum age to apply for a lifeguard position is 15 years. Before starting the training sessions, a trainee needs to perform a swimming pretest set by their lifeguard instructor. 

A trainee has to:

• Swim 100 yards continuously using breaststroke and front crawl
• Tread through the water for a minute using only their feet
• Needs to dive feet first into the deepest part of the pool and retrieve a 10-pound brick

The requisites vary according to your shallow water or deep water lifeguarding application. 

Once the trainee qualifies the pretest set by the lifeguard instructor, they move on to the actual training sessions. 

Water rescue training

Each rescue technique is different from the other. Depending upon the emergency and the availability of resources, training is given to the aspiring lifeguards to deal with any situation. 

Water rescuing training generally covers:

• Using pieces of equipment to make rescuing easier
• Providing effective help to the distressed swimmers
• Determining the best approaches to assist in any emergency
• Techniques to carry one or multiple swimmers to dry land

Injury stabilization

A lifeguard instructor provides basic training to aid neck and back injuries. It has been observed the injuries to the neck and back need to be stabilized first before the distressed swimmer can be moved elsewhere. 

These techniques usually consist of:

• Using the backboard, head, or chin support for victim found face up or face down
• Special deep water spinal stabilization techniques

First aid and CPR

Incidents of drowning while swimming is not uncommon, and therefore, lifeguards always need to be well prepared to combat such situations. 

CPR or cardiopulmonary resuscitation becomes an integral part of the training sessions. The sessions usually consist of training one-person or two-person CPR courses in Perth for both adults and children and learning how to use cardiac defibrillators. 

It has been observed that performing CPR along with the cardiac has increased the positive outcome tremendously. On the other hand, the first aid training for lifeguards includes breathing valves, controlling bleeding, and applying splints and slings. 

Once a lifeguard trainee finishes the full course, they have to demonstrate their skills through tests set for them. A written and first aid lifeguard certification test needs to be completed before the person is awarded a lifeguard certificate. 

And, there you go! Hopefully, our article could shed some light on what to expect from your lifeguard training sessions.