CPR and AED training is a core part of professional lifeguard preparation. A lifeguard may be the first trained responder to reach a swimmer who has been removed from the water, is unresponsive, is not breathing normally, or is experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. The ability to recognize the emergency, activate the facility’s emergency action plan, begin CPR, and use an automated external defibrillator without unnecessary delay can directly affect the outcome.

The American Lifeguard Association® includes CPR/AED and First Aid instruction within its lifeguard certification and recertification programs. Participants learn how emergency care connects with surveillance, water rescue, victim removal, teamwork, First Aid, and continued care until Emergency Medical Services arrive. ALA’s lifeguard training includes certification in Lifeguarding, CPR/AED, and First Aid.

CPR/AED and First Aid are included as part of ALA lifeguard training. This page describes the CPR/AED component of the lifeguard certification program rather than a separate CPR/AED-only course.

Why CPR and AED Training Is Essential for Lifeguards

Aquatic emergencies can progress rapidly. A person rescued from the water may need immediate breathing and cardiac care before paramedics arrive. A swimmer, spectator, employee, or facility guest may also experience sudden cardiac arrest for reasons unrelated to drowning.

Immediate CPR can double or triple a cardiac-arrest victim’s chance of survival. An AED can analyze the person’s heart rhythm and advise or deliver a shock when the device detects a rhythm that can benefit from defibrillation.

Drowning emergencies require special attention because cardiac arrest following drowning is commonly caused by a lack of oxygen. Current American Heart Association guidance emphasizes CPR with breaths for adults and children in cardiac arrest following drowning. AED use remains appropriate, but trained rescuers should begin CPR with breaths promptly rather than delaying care while waiting for the AED.

A properly trained lifeguard should be prepared to move through the entire emergency response:

1. Recognize that a person is in distress.
2. Activate the emergency action plan.
3. Perform the appropriate water rescue.
4. Remove the person from the water safely.
5. Assess responsiveness and breathing.
6. Begin CPR with breaths when indicated.
7. Apply and operate an AED.
8. Coordinate with other members of the safety team.
9. Continue care until EMS personnel take over.

What Is CPR?

CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is an emergency procedure used when a person is in cardiac arrest. Chest compressions help maintain blood flow to the brain and other vital organs. Breaths provide oxygen and are especially important following drowning and in many pediatric emergencies.

For an average adult in cardiac arrest, current guidance calls for chest compressions at a rate of approximately 100 to 120 per minute and a depth of at least two inches, while avoiding excessive depth. High-quality CPR also requires full chest recoil, limited interruptions, and appropriate ventilation. Techniques and compression depths differ for adults, children, and infants.

CPR does not guarantee that the heart will restart. Its immediate purpose is to support circulation and oxygen delivery until an AED, advanced medical care, or the person’s own recovery restores effective circulation.

What Is an AED?

An automated external defibrillator is a portable, computerized medical device used for a person in suspected cardiac arrest. Once the pads are attached, the AED analyzes the heart’s rhythm and determines whether a shock is appropriate.

An AED does not shock every cardiac-arrest victim. A semi-automated AED instructs the rescuer to press a button when a shockable rhythm is detected. A fully automated AED can deliver the shock automatically after providing warnings and prompts.

Lifeguards learn how to:

• Retrieve and prepare the AED quickly.
• Expose and prepare the person’s chest as required.
• Position adult or pediatric pads properly.
• Follow the AED’s visual and voice instructions.
• Make sure no one is touching the person during rhythm analysis or shock delivery.
• Resume CPR immediately when instructed.
• Continue following the device until EMS assumes care.

The AED should be incorporated into a coordinated response rather than treated as a replacement for CPR.

CPR and AED Skills Covered in Lifeguard Training

Recognizing a Cardiac or Breathing Emergency

Effective care begins with fast recognition. Lifeguards learn to identify an unresponsive person who is not breathing normally and to distinguish normal breathing from occasional gasps or other abnormal breathing.

The response also includes checking scene safety, summoning additional help, directing someone to call 911, retrieving the AED, and activating the aquatic facility’s emergency action plan.

Adult, Child, and Infant CPR

Lifeguards may be responsible for guests of every age. Training therefore addresses age-appropriate CPR techniques for adults, children, and infants.

Students learn that hand placement, compression technique, compression depth, ventilation, pad selection, and team roles may change according to the person’s age and physical size. Training should also prepare lifeguards to follow current treatment protocols and the instructions provided by the specific AED being used.

CPR With Breaths Following Drowning

CPR following drowning is not identical to the most familiar form of bystander, compression-only CPR. Because drowning primarily interferes with breathing and oxygen delivery, trained rescuers should be prepared to provide CPR with breaths.

Lifeguards learn how to combine effective compressions with appropriate breaths while minimizing interruptions. They also learn to integrate CPR with victim removal, airway management, additional rescuers, emergency oxygen when available and permitted, and the arrival of the AED.

Two-Rescuer CPR and Team Response

Many aquatic facilities operate with a safety team. During a serious emergency, one lifeguard may begin CPR while another activates EMS, retrieves the AED, prepares ventilation equipment, manages bystanders, or assists with compressions and breaths.

Two-rescuer training helps lifeguards communicate clearly, rotate positions before fatigue reduces compression quality, and perform each task without unnecessary interruptions.

AED Application and Operation

Students learn when to retrieve and use an AED, how to attach the pads, how to follow the device’s prompts, and how to maintain a safe environment during rhythm analysis and shock delivery.

Training also addresses continued care after a shock or a “no shock advised” message. Lifeguards must be ready to resume CPR immediately and continue care until the person shows signs of recovery or EMS takes over.

Continued Care and EMS Handoff

The emergency does not end when an AED is applied. Lifeguards must continue monitoring the person, providing care, supporting other responders, and communicating important information to EMS.

A clear handoff may include what happened, when the person was removed from the water, when CPR began, how many shocks were delivered, what care was provided, and whether the person’s condition changed.

How CPR and AED Are Integrated Into ALA Lifeguard Training

The American Lifeguard Association does not treat CPR and AED as unrelated classroom subjects. These skills are presented within the broader sequence of preventing, recognizing, and responding to aquatic emergencies.

ALA lifeguard training connects CPR/AED with:

• Patron surveillance and drowning prevention.
• Recognition of swimmers in distress.
• Water rescue and victim removal.
• Adult, child, and infant emergency care.
• First Aid and injury response.
• Emergency action plans.
• Communication and safety-team responsibilities.
• Continued care until EMS arrives.

This integrated approach helps candidates understand not only how to perform individual skills, but when those skills are needed and how they fit into a complete aquatic emergency response.

Flexible Video Instructor-Led Blended Learning

The American Lifeguard Association offers video instructor-led blended learning that allows students to begin the academic portion of their training without waiting for a traditional group class date. Participants can review structured course content and prepare for the knowledge and responsibilities associated with professional lifeguarding.

Online instruction does not eliminate the importance of physical practice and demonstrated competency. Lifeguarding, CPR, AED operation, victim removal, and emergency teamwork are performance-based skills. They must be practiced and evaluated according to the applicable course, employer, facility, and jurisdictional requirements.

Before assigning a lifeguard to active duty, an aquatic facility should verify competency in the actual working environment. That evaluation should address the facility’s water depths, rescue equipment, surveillance zones, emergency action plan, AED location, communication system, and safety-team procedures. The CDC Model Aquatic Health Code also calls for facility-specific pre-service competency and continuing in-service training.

Who Should Complete Lifeguard CPR and AED Training?

This training is appropriate for:

• Individuals preparing for their first lifeguard position.
• Previously certified lifeguards who need recertification.
• Pool, waterpark, camp, school, hotel, resort, and recreation staff.
• Shallow-water lifeguards.
• Aquatic facilities training seasonal or year-round employees.
• Employers that need staff prepared for water-related, breathing, and cardiac emergencies.

No prior medical education is generally required for an entry-level lifeguard program. Candidates must, however, satisfy the age, swimming, physical, academic, and practical requirements applicable to the lifeguard program and intended workplace.

People who need only a general workplace CPR/AED credential—and do not need lifeguard certification—should confirm that a bundled lifeguard program is appropriate for their particular employment or licensing requirement.

Federal Recognition and Employer Requirements

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Field Operations Handbook identifies the American Lifeguard Association as one of the organizations offering a lifeguard certification program considered similar to the American Red Cross program for purposes of the federal employment requirements in 29 CFR § 570.34(l).

Certification Expiration, Renewal, and Continued Practice

Lifeguards should check the expiration dates printed on their credentials and begin the renewal process before those credentials expire.

ALA’s participants receive bundled certifications in Lifeguarding, CPR/AED, and First Aid that are valid for two years.

Certification renewal should not be the only time a lifeguard practices emergency skills. CPR quality, AED familiarity, rescue techniques, and teamwork can decline without regular repetition. Aquatic employers should conduct documented in-service training that includes realistic emergency scenarios, CPR/AED practice, facility-specific rescue skills, and emergency action plan drills.

Why Choose the American Lifeguard Association?

The American Lifeguard Association provides a flexible pathway for individuals and employers seeking complete lifeguard training with CPR/AED and First Aid included.

Program benefits include:

• Lifeguarding, CPR/AED, and First Aid instruction within one certification pathway.
• First-time and recertification options.
• Video instructor-led blended learning.
• Individual and group training support.
• National credential-verification resources.
• A 30-day satisfaction guarantee.
• A qualifying 30-day price-match guarantee.

The exact terms and eligibility requirements of the guarantees should be linked directly to the current registration terms.