What are Lifeguards and what do they do?
Lifeguard's supervise public and private Water areas. This includes the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, divers and many other Water sports participants such as in the Ocean's, Lakes, Swimming Pools, Water Parks and many other locations. Lifeguard's are trained as Water paramedics in First Aid and C.P.R. (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation), strong swimming techniques and certified in Water rescue using a variety of flotation devices and Equipment depending on the requirements of their particular location. Lifeguard's are part of the emergency services system to assist in accidents and in many locations around the world, Lifeguard's also carry out many other rescue missions both in the Water and on land.
What are the Responsibilities of Lifeguards?
A Lifeguard is responsible for providing safety advise and rescue in areas of bodies of Water, and usually a defined area immediately around the Water or close to it, such as a sandy beach next to an Ocean or lake. The idea is to make sure no harm comes to humans swimming in the area. Lifeguards often take on this responsibility as work for pay, although they can be volunteers. The conditions ultimately resulting in Drowning are noted by the "Drowning Chain" in which each link can lead directly to a dire accident, or contribute to a succession of links.
The Drowning chain provides a clear basis for preventing Drowning which includes: Education and Information. Provision of Warnings. Denial of Access. Supervision. Training in Survival Skills.
The Lifeguard is able to supervise these steps to help prevent Drownings or other incidents, in their area of responsibility. This is the reason the Drowning Chain should be the primary focus of a Lifeguard's activities, as it has been proven to be more successful to stop an incident occurring than trying to react once it has occurred. This means that the effectiveness of a Lifeguard Team can be measured not in the number or speed of rescues, or the skill with which they are executed, but the absence or reduction of Drownings, accidents, and other medical emergencies.
Commonly it seems Lifeguards must be trained, capable and ready to perform emergency rescues should they become necessary, which they may do, as it is impossible to prevent all accidents occurring. Lifeguard's both Watermen and Waterwomen play a key roll in popular culture references such as Bay Watch, which throughout the 1990's was the most viewed show in the world.
What Are The Job Duties Of A Professional Lifeguard?
A Lifeguard's key duties on the job be it a beach usually as part of a team, but in some places, Lifeguards may occasionally be required to work on their own or any other body of Water are to:
Enforce the Drowning Chain in order to anticipate problems or injuries.
Maintain visual observation of the duty area and its occupants in order to anticipate problems based off the Drowning Chain (this will enable the Lifeguard to intervene with one of the Drowning prevention measures) and to identify an emergency quickly. Supervise the use of other Equipment when allocated to that duty such as Water slides or any other activities taking place Supervise and execute rescues and initiate other emergency action as necessary. Give immediate First Aid or C.P.R. (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) in the event of injury to a swimmer or other Water sports activity. Communicate with swimmers and other Water sports participants to help fulfill the above tasks.
Lifeguards can have other duties such as cleaning, paperwork, checking a swimming pool's chlorine and pH levels or acting as an information point. It is important that Lifeguards never allow their secondary duties to interfere with their primary responsibilities, Saving Lives.
How Do You Identify Swimmers Strengths and Weaknesses?
While performing crowd surveillance usually from an elevated stand or a Water level standing or sitting position. Lifeguards look for and recognized struggle of Drowning swimmers, and or swimmers with sudden medical conditions such as a stroke, heart attack, asthma, diabetes, or seizures. Quality observation is the key to Lifeguards responding to a life threatening situation, and they look for swimmers in various categories and conditions
Passive Drowning Victims are inactive in the Water, submerged or in a dead float. When a Lifeguard sees this kind of swimmer s/he performs an emergency rescue.
Active Drowning Victims or Distressed Non-Swimmers are swallowing Water while attempting to stay at the surface. Lifeguards monitor swimmers in this position by looking for arms moving or flapping laterally in an effort to press down on the Water and leverage the head above the Water's surface, not necessarily flailing, with the body vertical and no supporting kick. This behavior is known as the Instinctive Drowning Response. Lifeguards perform an emergency rescue to assist this kind of swimmer. Distressed Swimmers are having trouble swimming, perhaps from fatigue, and may or may not be calling out for help. Lifeguards usually swim out and help these swimmers to the side. They may or may not require additional assistance. Normal Swimmers are those who do not need any support and can swim on their own doing intermediate strokes (swimming standards). They would also be able to know Water safety boating safety and swimming precautions.
Where Do Lifeguard's Work and What Conditions Will They Work Under?
Lifeguards can be found patrolling many different types of Water, and each type has its own unique features, elements and challenges. Locations where Lifeguards can be found include:
Salt Water Lifeguards are commonly associated with beaches on the seashore, and this is often considered the most challenging environment to Lifeguard in due to the influence of external factors such as weather, currents, tides, waves and pollution. Inland Body of Water - Lifeguards also look after open Water areas such as lakes, or even rivers, where swimmers may congregate. Swimming Pool - Pools, whether indoor or out, are often patrolled by Lifeguards, although many are not covered by qualified personnel, if at all
Water Park - Whilst Water parks are a type of swimming pool, they can be considered a unique type of facility as they may involve additional features such as Water slides or wave generators
Ocean Lagoon or Tidal Pool - These enclosed areas use seaWater, but like a pool have a limited and contained area, but have the potential for additional hazards above and beyond an artificial pool.
Open Ocean - In some cases, people may swim in the open Ocean from a boat (such as a cruise ship) and Lifeguards may be employed for safety in this instance.
Lifeguard Tower and Chairs.
Lifeguards use portable towers to optimize viewing positions of swimming area. Lifeguards have a primary duty to supervise the area which they are responsible for, and to achieve this the Lifeguard needs to obtain an optimum position for observing the public at large. This is often best achieved from an elevated position, which can be a chair, platform or even the roof of a vehicle. This allows them maximum visibility over their supervised area and may facilitate communication between them and their team. The Lifeguard can be both seen and be able to see.
Some Lifeguard teams use portable platforms or chairs which can be moved to the most appropriate position. This can help take account of changes such as a specific activity taking place, prevailing wind direction or simply enable Lifeguards to move closer to the Water if the tide goes out on a beach.
The chair or tower can also act as storage for the Lifeguard, holding their important rescue or communication Equipment close to hand. It can also act as a recognizable point for members of the public to find Lifeguard assistance. For this reason, it is often marked with a flag or flags to enable location by the public, and these flags may also give information to the bathers about the conditions for swimming.
Equipment Used By Lifeguard's
Equipment used by Lifeguards will vary depending on the location and specific conditions encountered such as high winds or low Water temperatures, however certain Equipment is relatively universal such as a whistle for attracting the attention of the public or other members of the team, a First Aid kit and rescue aids, paddle boards and throw lines. There were also lifelines installed within beaches but proved ineffective. Lifeguard Equipment grew from the increased numbers of people dying from Drowning.
Rescue Aids Used By Lifeguard's
Rescue techniques to be used by Lifeguards, in order to minimizes danger to the Lifeguard and maximizes the effectiveness of a rescue, and this dictates the types of rescue aids that a Lifeguard should have available. If talking to the victim is a problem, and they are unable to help themselves under instruction, the rescue steps are as follows:
Reach - The first choice for any Lifeguard should be to reach the victim from a position of safety, such as the side of a pool or the beach, using an aid such as a pole or rope. This allows them to stay safe throughout the rescue whilst keeping constant contact with the victim.
Throw - If it is not possible to reach a victim and maintain contact, then the next best method is to throw a rescue aid to them, such as a lifebuoy (also known as a perry buoy) or a rope and encourage them to use it to swim to safety. This is easiest in closed environments such as a swimming pool or harbor, but also has wide application outdoors, such as throwing a ring from a pier or use of a rope from a boat.
Wade - If neither of those techniques is possible, then a Lifeguard should consider wading to a victim, staying standing upright in the Water. This will only work in shallow Water, so has limited application, but keeps the Lifeguard more stable and safer.
Row - Using a personal Watercraft to reach the victim, which could include paddle craft such as a surf ski, kayak or row boat, a hand paddled craft such as a long surfboard or in modern times a jet ski or a inflatable boat. This is almost exclusively used in outdoor environments.
Swim With An Aid - Only if none of these options are available should a Lifeguard consider swimming to rescue a victim, as it creates additional danger for both Lifeguard and victim. Aids suitable for this include the well known Rescue buoy, which is a hard plastic float towed on a rope attached to the Lifeguard, or the soft equivalent, the rescue or 'Peterson' tube, which is flexible and is generally preferred nowadays as it can be clipped around an unconscious or uncooperative victim. Other aids can include a rescue reel which is a rope attaching the Lifeguard to a reel on the shore from where he can be pulled back by colleagues either with the victim or if the Lifeguard gets in to difficulty.
Swim Without A Flotation Devise - Only as an absolute last resort should a Lifeguard attempt a rescue with no Equipment under any conditions or weather.
In addition to these basic Lifeguarding techniques, some units are trained in additional Water rescue techniques such as scuba diving or in rescue techniques unrelated to Water rescue such as abseiling for cliff rescue and will carry appropriate Equipment for these.
C.P.R. and First Aid
Lifeguards are proficient in First Aid, and have a well stocked First Aid kit available in case of an emergency. They may have advanced First Aid items such as medical oxygen, a resuscitator, a defibrillator or AED or a spinal immobilization board. Some are trained EMT personnel.
How do Lifeguards Communicate and what do they use in terms of tools to do so?
Effective communications are vital for Lifeguards and they may choose to use whistles, two-way radios, megaphones or even signal flares. A more traditional method of communication with the public is through the use of colored flags, which can be raised over permanent or temporary flag poles to inform members of the public of different information.
Open Water Lifeguards
Inland Water sites such as lakes and rivers - typically where there is a specific need, such as sports competitions or public events. There are many examples of organizations that provide such services on a national, international, voluntary and commercial basis.
Lifeguard Statistics for the United States.
In the United States there are several nationally recognized organizations that certify Lifeguards. The American Red Cross Lifeguarding program, American Lifeguard Association, the YMCA, the City of Los Angeles, and the Boy Scouts of America. These organizations certify people in First Aid and C.P.R. for that do not get the Lifeguard certification. The standard in open Water surf training is the United States Lifesaving Association. In 2009, 117 drowned at the nations beaches; 21 where Lifeguards were on duty. There were 82,969 rescues reported from 114 reporting agencies.
