What Are the Requirements for Lifeguard Certification?

What is a coastal lifeguard certification?

Lifeguard certification is a vital credential that equips individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge to ensure the safety and well-being of swimmers in aquatic environments. Embodying a commitment to saving lives.The latest edition of this 334-page lifeguard book , which is in A4 format, was published in July 2023. In recent years, the American coastal lifeguard book Open Water Lifeguard. Which in its latest edition is over 400, is also pages, seen used in teaching by USA coastal lifeguard certification.

Life saver Duties and responsibilities of a lifeguard

While it is a matter for the individual coastal lifeguard department to delegate duties, responsibilities and competence to the individual lifeguard certification. The following general guidelines are observed in such delegation:

Implementation of sufficient supervision and monitoring of the bathing beach incl. A beach patrol which can help the established public rescue service such as Falck, SOC.

Punctuality and precision must be observed at all times. Lifeguard certification must announce their arrival at their respective lifeguard tower before the start of the day’s lifeguard watch.

Keeping a log of the lifeguards’ work on the beach. Including filling in forms about accidents and incidents to the extent required by the management of the coastal lifeguard department.
Compliance with hygiene and safety regulations at the lifeguard station:

Compliance with requirements for the nature of the rescue equipment, patrol plans, emergency telephones. Updating of telephone numbers for e.g. doctor, Falck, Police etc. in accordance with the local coastal lifeguard certification station’s alarm plan.

Every lifeguard must ensure that all lifeguard measures are in good condition and visible to the public at all times.

All shore lifeguard flags must be kept in good condition and used in accordance with the flag procedures posted at any lifeguard tower on an information sign.

Life saver Principles of lifeguard

Every lifeguard certification must announce his arrival at the lifeguard tower before the lifeguard watch begins.

Lifeguards who wish to change guards can only do so after consultation with and permission from the backcountry.

A lifeguard certification must always be ready and aware of duties, responsibilities and competences.
For safety reasons , a lifeguard who performs patrolling and visual scanning must not participate in commercial activities. Such as commercial television filming on the beach. This can divert the lifeguard’s attention from the vital monitoring.

A lifeguard who is ill or in any way unwell may not fill a lifeguard watch.
A lifeguard certification must at all times be polite, courteous and informative towards the public and beach guests.
No lifeguard must be on duty with alcohol in their blood.

Lifeguards who have contact with the press and the media behave politely. Politely and informatively towards them and inform the management in detail about this.
As a result of the dynamic changes in tidal beach topography and coastal morphology . Horse holes can change character and location. Before a lifeguard starts the daily watch at his lifeguard tower, he/she must therefore carefully observe the lifeguard area and take note of beach topographical and coastal morphological changes .

Lifeguards who leave the lifeguard area, even for a moment, must alert their colleagues.

Physical Fitness

The job as a lifeguard ( coastal lifeguard ) is demanding, therefore mental and physical preparation is necessary. Keeping fit is one aspect of lifeguard certification. Staying fit is another. Continuous exposure to the sun can result in skin cancer and constant sunshine can cause chronic damage to the eyes and vision. Which protect the eyes from dangerous ultraviolet rays.

Outside the swimming season, lifeguards should supplement their weight training and swimming with outdoor sports activities.

Every lifeguard certification must maintain an appropriate level of fitness appropriate for the job on the beach and this involves regular physical exercise throughout the year. Active lifeguards should practice ocean swimming at least 5 days per week and preferably together when training involves long distance swimming.

Mental Fitness

It is likely that a lifeguard is face to face with life-or-death situations. Where an immediate reaction from the lifeguard determines the outcome.Partly from himself and partly from the injured.

Making decisions here means taking the initiative to choose the correct life-saving procedure for the accident and emergency in question.

When you hire a lifeguard, we start with a short safety briefing before we swim out, so that everyone on the day is familiar with signals and points of attention (weather, wind and water temperature) on the trip.

What don’t you get when you hire a lifeguard?

Our lifeguard is not on the trip to give you swimming lessons, but solely to increase water safety. You should therefore not expect a whole range of tips for optimizing your swimming.

Courses for lifeguards

Lifeguard First Aid instructor course
The USA Council for Resuscitation offers lifesaving courses for instructors who want to teach the Lifesaving First Aid provider course. The duration of the course is 4 hours. After satisfactory completion of the course, the instructor must be supervised on a Lifeguard provider course. The instructor can then teach the Lifeguard First Aid provider course (the courses must be offered under the auspices of a course provider, see below).

It is a requirement that the instructor is a fully supervised ERC CPR-AED instructor or equivalent instructor training with a certificate from the USA First Aid Council (DFR).

Sign up for a lifeguard course and hear more about becoming an instructor.

Lifeguard First Aid provider course

The USA Council for Resuscitation collaborates with providers of a practical course aimed at lifeguards at all levels. It can, for example, be pool, commercial, open-water and coastal lifeguards. The duration of the course is 2.5 hours. After satisfactory completion of the course, the lifeguard will receive medical delegation to use medical oxygen. In addition, the lifeguard will learn techniques for evacuating a person with a suspected spinal cord injury from the low-edge pool.

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This danger should be thought through both when a general rescue plan is drawn up before the lifeguard season and when during a current rescue situation – in a few seconds – an emergency rescue plan is put into the head of the lifeguard on duty.