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Lifeguard Classes by American Lifeguard Association

Water safety is essential. Thousands of people die from drowning every year in the United States. It is essential to learn how to respond to water emergencies properly. You should know what to do when someone falls into the water. You should be able to recognize when someone needs help. You should also know what to do if someone needs medical care.

Many people like to take water safety classes to help others in an emergency. The courses cover different topics about water safety. The American Lifeguard Association provides a variety of lifeguard classes in order to teach water safety to students. The classes include water safety, CPR, and first aid. These lifeguard classes can be taken in a classroom or online.

The American Lifeguard Association was founded in 1990. Its mission is to provide education and certification to the public about water safety. Their classes include basic water safety, rescue, CPR, and swimming.

Physical Fitness

Lifeguards should be physically fit. They should be able to swim and perform other physical activities for long periods of time. The lifeguard class is designed to teach lifeguards how to react in case a person gets into trouble.

Consult a doctor before beginning lifeguard class

It is important to check with your doctor before taking a lifeguard class. If you have any health concerns or injuries, it would be wise to consult your doctor.

A healthy lifestyle is important

It is important to be healthy when you are trying to become a lifeguard. You should not use alcohol and illegal drugs. If you are taking any prescription medications, make sure that you let your employer know and make sure that they will not impair you working as a lifeguard. Also, make sure to drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated is essential. Try to maintain a consistent schedule for your workouts. You should also eat healthy foods.

Different types of lifeguard courses

The American Lifeguard Association is the leading authority in the United States for the training of lifeguards. We provide lifeguard courses and training programs that meet the needs of both the public and private sectors. We offer two different certifications. One is for shallow and deep water, and the other is for shallow water only. Our lifeguard courses and training programs include many different components. We teach participants about emergency first aid, drowning prevention, water safety, swimming skills, CPR, and the basic skills needed to be a lifeguard.

The Shallow Water Lifeguard Certification

Shallow water lifeguards respond to aquatic emergencies in shallow water up to 5 feet deep. The course is designed for participants that wish to lifeguard at aquatic facilities with a maximum water depth of 5 feet or less. To register, participants must be 15 years of age or older and can perform the following skills.

  • 100-yard, continuous swim using front crawl and/or breaststroke
  • 2-minute using legs only
  • Retrieve a 10- dive weight from 4 ft deep surface and walk 20 yards with the weight at or above the water’s surface, and exit the pool without using a ladder within 50 seconds.

The purpose of the Shallow Water Lifeguarding course is to provide entry-level shallow water lifeguard participants with the knowledge and skills needed to prevent, recognize and respond to aquatic emergencies in shallow water up to 5 feet deep and to provide care for breathing and cardiac emergencies, injuries, and sudden illnesses until emergency medical services personnel take over.

This program offers a choice of Shallow Water Lifeguarding/First Aid/CPR/AED courses to meet the various training needs of a diverse audience. Participants who complete the Lifeguarding course receive an American Lifeguard certificate for Shallow Water Lifeguarding/First Aid/CPR/AED, valid for two years.

Professional Lifeguard Certification

The deep-water lifeguard certification is a very important certification. The lifeguards should be trained to know how to rescue people from drowning. They should also be taught how to deal with emergencies and how to respond. They must also be trained to handle the equipment that they will use. They should be trained to deal with conscious and unconscious drowning and those who are injured. Our lifeguard classes teach individuals in CPR and first aid.  They are also trained to deal with the equipment they will use during the training. It provides entry-level participants the knowledge and skills to prevent, recognize, and respond to aquatic emergencies and provide care for breathing and cardiac emergencies, injuries, and sudden illnesses until EMS personnel take over. This certification is for facilities with both shallow and deep water.

Prerequisites: Minimum age: 15 years; Swim 300 yards continuously; Tread water for 2 minutes using only the legs; Complete a timed event within 1 minute, 40 seconds by starting in the water, swimming 20 yards, surface dive to a depth of 7 to 10 feet to retrieve a 10-pound object, return to the surface and swim 20 yards on the back to return to the starting point, exit the water without using steps or a ladder.

Participants who complete the Lifeguarding course receive an American Lifeguard Association certificate for Lifeguarding/First Aid/CPR/AED, valid for two years.

Employee Orientation

An orientation session about facility operations and responsibilities helps lifeguards understand the facility, their responsibilities, and management’s expectations. The orientation is critical for learning what is unique about your workplace. Ask your employer questions about your facility and become thoroughly familiar with your facility’s operations. The employer ensures that each Lifeguard candidate has all the skills and knowledge necessary for the position they are being considered. The employer also needs to make sure the candidate meets the physical and all other elements before starting employment. The employer to evaluate your current skill level. Your employer may have you participate in rescue scenarios to ensure that you understand your team’s responsibilities and are familiar with your facility’s layout and equipment.

Continue with in-service training with your employer.

Earning a lifeguarding certification means you have completed a training course on a given date. It does not mean that you have learned everything there is to know about lifeguarding. Once hired as a lifeguard, you should expect that you will be required to continue your training.

Final Words

The certification program is accomplished through an instructor-led video training program with online materials and a final online exam, allowing you to become certified as an individual or in a small group right away. The training can be accomplished on your own and at your own pace. Upon completing your online portion of the program, you will be issued a two-year national lifeguarding, CPR/AED, and First Aid certification. All training materials, including videos, will remain available to you for the duration of your two years of certification, allowing you to refresh your skills at any time. With this blended program, the employers assess your skills and encourage you to continue practicing the skills through in-service training.

Designed for busy people, the American Lifeguard Association gives you more flexible online lifeguard training options that combine online lifeguard training that works with employers. Our program’s skills reflect ECC science and findings from the United States Lifeguard Training Standards Coalition. We also require employers to meet the new Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC) requirement to conduct pre-service evaluations and in-service training.

If you are looking for lifeguard training near me, we will do our best to help. Please let us know if you have any questions. You can reach us on our Contact Us page. You’re going to need to provide your first and last names, as well as your address, your phone number, and email address.

The American Lifeguard Association (ALA) has been offering training for over 30 years. It is a national educational association with the full support of the Swimming Pool and Spa Association and Global Lifeguards, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. These organizations are all members of the Global Lifeguard Association, which make up one of the largest worldwide aquatic consortiums and has certified over 250,000 individuals, and saved countless lives over the past quarter of a century. The American Lifeguard Association helps develop testing protocols and administer health and safety programs at swimming pools, waterparks, waterfronts, and beaches.

The American Lifeguard Association promotes the safe and enjoyable use of aquatic environments through public service announcements and national news media interviews. The Association’s opinions and viewpoints have been aired numerous times over the decades on network shows such as NBC Today Show, Good Morning America, Doctors, and Weather Channel. It has also worked with all the national news networks, such as ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC. To learn more about our Association and read the latest news stories regarding the American Lifeguard Association’s nationwide efforts in the lifesaving profession, we ask that you tap American Lifeguard Association News.

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