Lifeguard Essay
Just imagine it, Pamela Anderson running down a hot beach in the cutest red lifeguard bathing suit while the wind is blowing her hair in slow motion. This is the image that Hollywood portrays as the ideal lifeguard. However realistic Baywatch may seem, it is far from reality. Lifeguarding is thought of as easy going and care free, but it is quite the opposite. A lifeguard must remain alert and aware at all times because a normal day could easily turn into a life or death situation. Becoming a lifeguard is a relatively simple process. The major steps include: becoming certified, passing the written test and finding a job. After that, learning the everyday techniques on the job will be second nature. Swimming, as one can imagine, has been
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around for ages. However, it has not been called swimming forever; beginning in the 1800’s, an activity known as “recreational bathing” became fashionable. As this activity became more and more popular so did the rate of drowning. According to the American Red Cross, “…by the early 1900s as many as 9,000 humans drowned each year in the United States” (American Red Cross, 1994). As a result of these unfortunate occurrences, foundations like the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) began to develop the volunteer National Lifesaving Service in 1912 (Original Watermen). Also the American Red Cross Lifesaving was established by Commodore Wilbert E. Longfellow in 1914 in order to train swimmers throughout the United States in lifesaving and resuscitation (Original Watermen). Eventually men and women were officially hired for the jobs and the name “lifeguard” was deemed. “Of the total drowning deaths per year, those that occur under lifeguard supervision account for less than 1%” (Lifeguard Times). This number of deaths is significantly lower than that of what it would be if lifeguards were not present; just one fact that proves how important lifeguards truly are.
The first step to becoming a lifeguard is finding a local venue to take a lifeguarding class. There are several places that offer these sort of classes. For example, the YMCA and any Red Cross organization usually have these classes year round. The duration of the class on average lasts about a week, and the fee varies upon location-around $150. The price may seem steep, however one will quickly make that on the job. In the lifeguard class, there are certain training procedures and certification requirements. Jeff Ellis & Associates is one of the many certification programs that municipalities offer for lifeguard certification classes. In this specific program, training begins with basic life support which consists of compressions, CPR, ventilations, learning how to use the AED, and the stages of drowning. Compressions are used when a MID or “member in distress” is choking or the airway is blocked. To perform this operation the rescuer kneels over the MID and with two hands and pumps the chest (on the sternum) at a depth of 2/3 of the thoracic cavity. The rescuer does this thirty times or until the object is dislodged and the airway is cleared. Cardiopulmonary …show more content…
Recitation, also popularly known as CPR, is used only when a MID has lost their pulse. CPR, like compressions, has a ratio of thirty compressions to two breaths. The 30:2 ratio is repeated until the MID regains the pulse, or until the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) arrives and takes over. The AED or Automated Emergency Defibrillator is a machine that is attached to the MID as soon as he or she loses a heartbeat. Attached to the machine is a pair of adhesive pads that should be placed on the MID’s left-hand side rib and the right-hand side chest. This machine gives oral directions to the rescuer and monitors the MID’s heartbeat, or lack thereof. The AED commands: Evaluating heart beat, please stand back. Then it will command either to give a shock or to continue with CPR. The next subsection of basic life support is ventilations which is also known as rescue breathing. Ventilations are performed when the MID has no obvious signs of breathing. If the MID is a child the regulated ventilation ratio is one breath every three seconds up to 40 breaths, in which the rescuer begins with a new set starting at one. For adults everything is the same except it requires one breath for every five seconds up to 24 breaths. For sanitary purposes the ventilations and breaths are performed using a Seal Easy Mask, which provides a barrier between the rescuer and the MID to prevent the spread on contaminated bodily fluids. This safety precaution is taken to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases along with other infections. Gloves are also a safety precaution taken before ever performing basic life support. Next in the program a lifeguard-to-be must learn the stages of drowning. The first is surprise, which is when the MID is panicking and flailing while still on the surface. The second stage is involuntary breath holding, which is the moment when the MID submerges. The third stage is unconsciousness. This is when the lack of oxygen causes the MID to black out and become unconscious below the surface of the water. The fourth stage is hypoxic convulsions, which is where the body seizes uncontrollably which subsequently leads to the fifth and final stage of drowning: clinical death. It is a lifeguard’s duty to be able to recognize drowning in all of the five stages and have the ability to adequately respond. (Ellis & Associates Training Booklet) As a lifeguard on the stand, one is required to maintain vigilance and awareness in the form of a 10/20 scanning pattern and the sit-stand-sit method. The 10/20 scanning pattern is a shortened way of saying that a guard must scan their zone in 10 seconds and be able to respond and get to a situation in 20 seconds. This sounds challenging, but it is not difficult as long as one scans efficiently. The sit-stand-sit method may vary in different locations, but at the YMCA guards are required to rotate every 15 minutes. Rotation required when two or more stands are present. In the interval of 15 minutes there are three subintervals of five minutes. The first is to be spent sitting, the second standing and the last sitting. This prevents guards from becoming drowsy on the stand. A normal shift is about 3-3.5 hours in duration, and scanning water for that long can be extremely dull. This is why there are so many ways to maintain the awareness needed to be the ideal lifeguard. (Ellis & Associates Training Booklet) Like in just about everything else, there are rivalries in lifeguarding associations. The two major opponents are Red Cross and Ellis & Associates. The prerequisites for training in the Red Cross program are nonexistent, only that the participant be “…comfortable in chest deep water”(Doh Wa). On the other hand, the prerequisites for the Ellis & Associates training program include: “…swimming 100 yards without stopping, tread for two minutes, jump from deck into shallow and deep water, climb out of the pool without ladders, recover object from bottom of pool, [and] surface dive…”(YMCA). The facts are clear and Ellis has more prerequisites than Red Cross and evidently a stricter program. (Shallow Water Lifeguard Training Information) The rescues are probably the most important aspect of lifeguarding, principally because this is where the “saving” happens. The Rear Hug rescue is performed when a MID is facing down in the water. The rescuer approaches the MID from the back and puts their hands under the arms of the MID pulling him or her backwards across the guards tube-a floatation device so that the MID is now facing upwards in the water. The Two-lifeguard rescue is performed when a conscious irate or unruly guest is actively drowning. Since the guest is too much to handle for one guard, two guards are needed to rescue the MID. The member is approached from both back and front sides using the front drive technique. The front drive technique requires a guard to drive the tube down and under the MID’s arms to stabilize a struggling guest. When this is done from both sides a struggling guest can effectively be rescued. The Duck Pluck rescue is necessary when a guest is unconscious just beneath the surface of the water. A rescuer then leans forward over the tube to “pluck” the MID out from beneath the surface grabbing a hand and pulling them face up onto the tube. It is critical for a rescuer to be able to differentiate a conscious guest from an unconscious guest. This is important because if a guest is unconscious it is then up to the guard to make sure the MID can breathe. Lastly a spinal is a very delicate rescue that must be performed with the utmost caution. Instead of jumping into the water when a suspected spinal injury is spotted a guard must gently ease into the water. Depending whether the guest is conscious, unconscious, in deep or shallow water the procedures vary. The first step is to stabilize the neck, using a temporary brace called the vice grip, the guard raises the member’s arms above their head clutching them level with the MID’s ears. The MID is then lowered into the water face up while maintaining the vice grip. The MID is then slowly guided in circles in the water while another guard lowers a backboard into the water in the desired location. Once the MID has been drifted onto the board he or she is then strapped in and actual neck brace is secured. After this both guards work in unison to lift the MID out of the water onto the pool deck. (Ellis & Associates) There are countless scenarios that a guard could encounter while at work. However, whatever the scenario, there are the same steps to follow in each. The first is to survey the scene, which includes finding the reason for the accident or injury. This also means to find anything potentially harmful and dispose of it (i.e. broken glass, hazardous chemicals, etc.). The second step is to shake and shout which entails shaking and calling out to the MID to check for consciousness. Activating the emergency action plan (EAP) is the next step. It is the guard’s duty to notify someone to call police or to tell someone to call police. After gloving up, the guard will check for pulse on the MID’s choroidal artery located in the neck. Then if a pulse is found, the guard will check for obvious signs of breathing. Those steps never change and are always used no matter what the scenario. After certification is acquired, the next step is to find a job.
The guard will need to compile a resume and apply to a venue. The facility where the class was taken is usually open for hiring and will probably be the most likely job opportunity. After having received the job, a guard must learn the ropes of working as a lifeguard in a specific facility. Using the YMCA for example there are several procedures that a guard must know in order to adequately perform their role. One is checking the chemicals, which is required at the beginning of each shift. Another odds and ends task that a guard is required to know is a swim test. Guests under the age of 13 are required to pass a swim test to be able to access certain areas of the pool, such as the deep end. Lastly, if a guard is working the closing shift there are several tasks one must do to close down the pool. The most important task is cleaning the sauna and steam room, which can be disgusting at times. Also all the trash located on the pool deck must be disposed of and the trash cans must be emptied. The mats must be cleaned and the locker room entrances to the pool must be locked. The trauma kit must be checked for functionality and finally the pool lights must be turned off. After learning all of these things, one is finally considered a lifeguard, and may live their life in content knowing they have what it takes to save a life. Baywatch might look vain and shallow compared to what the real lifeguards
of today are required to know and do. Pools around the world would be much different without the supervision of trained lifeguards, and very dangerous at that. Not only is it impressive to be a lifeguard but it also looks good on a resume. It shows that one is diligent and responsible let alone qualified to save someone from death. It also provides important knowledge and people skills that are valuable in every day life. Becoming a lifeguard is extremely beneficial and not too difficult as long as motivation and determination are present.
around for ages. However, it has not been called swimming forever; beginning in the 1800’s, an activity known as “recreational bathing” became fashionable. As this activity became more and more popular so did the rate of drowning. According to the American Red Cross, “…by the early 1900s as many as 9,000 humans drowned each year in the United States” (American Red Cross, 1994). As a result of these unfortunate occurrences, foundations like the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) began to develop the volunteer National Lifesaving Service in 1912 (Original Watermen). Also the American Red Cross Lifesaving was established by Commodore Wilbert E. Longfellow in 1914 in order to train swimmers throughout the United States in lifesaving and resuscitation (Original Watermen). Eventually men and women were officially hired for the jobs and the name “lifeguard” was deemed. “Of the total drowning deaths per year, those that occur under lifeguard supervision account for less than 1%” (Lifeguard Times). This number of deaths is significantly lower than that of what it would be if lifeguards were not present; just one fact that proves how important lifeguards truly are.
The first step to becoming a lifeguard is finding a local venue to take a lifeguarding class. There are several places that offer these sort of classes. For example, the YMCA and any Red Cross organization usually have these classes year round. The duration of the class on average lasts about a week, and the fee varies upon location-around $150. The price may seem steep, however one will quickly make that on the job. In the lifeguard class, there are certain training procedures and certification requirements. Jeff Ellis & Associates is one of the many certification programs that municipalities offer for lifeguard certification classes. In this specific program, training begins with basic life support which consists of compressions, CPR, ventilations, learning how to use the AED, and the stages of drowning. Compressions are used when a MID or “member in distress” is choking or the airway is blocked. To perform this operation the rescuer kneels over the MID and with two hands and pumps the chest (on the sternum) at a depth of 2/3 of the thoracic cavity. The rescuer does this thirty times or until the object is dislodged and the airway is cleared. Cardiopulmonary …show more content…
Recitation, also popularly known as CPR, is used only when a MID has lost their pulse. CPR, like compressions, has a ratio of thirty compressions to two breaths. The 30:2 ratio is repeated until the MID regains the pulse, or until the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) arrives and takes over. The AED or Automated Emergency Defibrillator is a machine that is attached to the MID as soon as he or she loses a heartbeat. Attached to the machine is a pair of adhesive pads that should be placed on the MID’s left-hand side rib and the right-hand side chest. This machine gives oral directions to the rescuer and monitors the MID’s heartbeat, or lack thereof. The AED commands: Evaluating heart beat, please stand back. Then it will command either to give a shock or to continue with CPR. The next subsection of basic life support is ventilations which is also known as rescue breathing. Ventilations are performed when the MID has no obvious signs of breathing. If the MID is a child the regulated ventilation ratio is one breath every three seconds up to 40 breaths, in which the rescuer begins with a new set starting at one. For adults everything is the same except it requires one breath for every five seconds up to 24 breaths. For sanitary purposes the ventilations and breaths are performed using a Seal Easy Mask, which provides a barrier between the rescuer and the MID to prevent the spread on contaminated bodily fluids. This safety precaution is taken to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases along with other infections. Gloves are also a safety precaution taken before ever performing basic life support. Next in the program a lifeguard-to-be must learn the stages of drowning. The first is surprise, which is when the MID is panicking and flailing while still on the surface. The second stage is involuntary breath holding, which is the moment when the MID submerges. The third stage is unconsciousness. This is when the lack of oxygen causes the MID to black out and become unconscious below the surface of the water. The fourth stage is hypoxic convulsions, which is where the body seizes uncontrollably which subsequently leads to the fifth and final stage of drowning: clinical death. It is a lifeguard’s duty to be able to recognize drowning in all of the five stages and have the ability to adequately respond. (Ellis & Associates Training Booklet) As a lifeguard on the stand, one is required to maintain vigilance and awareness in the form of a 10/20 scanning pattern and the sit-stand-sit method. The 10/20 scanning pattern is a shortened way of saying that a guard must scan their zone in 10 seconds and be able to respond and get to a situation in 20 seconds. This sounds challenging, but it is not difficult as long as one scans efficiently. The sit-stand-sit method may vary in different locations, but at the YMCA guards are required to rotate every 15 minutes. Rotation required when two or more stands are present. In the interval of 15 minutes there are three subintervals of five minutes. The first is to be spent sitting, the second standing and the last sitting. This prevents guards from becoming drowsy on the stand. A normal shift is about 3-3.5 hours in duration, and scanning water for that long can be extremely dull. This is why there are so many ways to maintain the awareness needed to be the ideal lifeguard. (Ellis & Associates Training Booklet) Like in just about everything else, there are rivalries in lifeguarding associations. The two major opponents are Red Cross and Ellis & Associates. The prerequisites for training in the Red Cross program are nonexistent, only that the participant be “…comfortable in chest deep water”(Doh Wa). On the other hand, the prerequisites for the Ellis & Associates training program include: “…swimming 100 yards without stopping, tread for two minutes, jump from deck into shallow and deep water, climb out of the pool without ladders, recover object from bottom of pool, [and] surface dive…”(YMCA). The facts are clear and Ellis has more prerequisites than Red Cross and evidently a stricter program. (Shallow Water Lifeguard Training Information) The rescues are probably the most important aspect of lifeguarding, principally because this is where the “saving” happens. The Rear Hug rescue is performed when a MID is facing down in the water. The rescuer approaches the MID from the back and puts their hands under the arms of the MID pulling him or her backwards across the guards tube-a floatation device so that the MID is now facing upwards in the water. The Two-lifeguard rescue is performed when a conscious irate or unruly guest is actively drowning. Since the guest is too much to handle for one guard, two guards are needed to rescue the MID. The member is approached from both back and front sides using the front drive technique. The front drive technique requires a guard to drive the tube down and under the MID’s arms to stabilize a struggling guest. When this is done from both sides a struggling guest can effectively be rescued. The Duck Pluck rescue is necessary when a guest is unconscious just beneath the surface of the water. A rescuer then leans forward over the tube to “pluck” the MID out from beneath the surface grabbing a hand and pulling them face up onto the tube. It is critical for a rescuer to be able to differentiate a conscious guest from an unconscious guest. This is important because if a guest is unconscious it is then up to the guard to make sure the MID can breathe. Lastly a spinal is a very delicate rescue that must be performed with the utmost caution. Instead of jumping into the water when a suspected spinal injury is spotted a guard must gently ease into the water. Depending whether the guest is conscious, unconscious, in deep or shallow water the procedures vary. The first step is to stabilize the neck, using a temporary brace called the vice grip, the guard raises the member’s arms above their head clutching them level with the MID’s ears. The MID is then lowered into the water face up while maintaining the vice grip. The MID is then slowly guided in circles in the water while another guard lowers a backboard into the water in the desired location. Once the MID has been drifted onto the board he or she is then strapped in and actual neck brace is secured. After this both guards work in unison to lift the MID out of the water onto the pool deck. (Ellis & Associates) There are countless scenarios that a guard could encounter while at work. However, whatever the scenario, there are the same steps to follow in each. The first is to survey the scene, which includes finding the reason for the accident or injury. This also means to find anything potentially harmful and dispose of it (i.e. broken glass, hazardous chemicals, etc.). The second step is to shake and shout which entails shaking and calling out to the MID to check for consciousness. Activating the emergency action plan (EAP) is the next step. It is the guard’s duty to notify someone to call police or to tell someone to call police. After gloving up, the guard will check for pulse on the MID’s choroidal artery located in the neck. Then if a pulse is found, the guard will check for obvious signs of breathing. Those steps never change and are always used no matter what the scenario. After certification is acquired, the next step is to find a job.
The guard will need to compile a resume and apply to a venue. The facility where the class was taken is usually open for hiring and will probably be the most likely job opportunity. After having received the job, a guard must learn the ropes of working as a lifeguard in a specific facility. Using the YMCA for example there are several procedures that a guard must know in order to adequately perform their role. One is checking the chemicals, which is required at the beginning of each shift. Another odds and ends task that a guard is required to know is a swim test. Guests under the age of 13 are required to pass a swim test to be able to access certain areas of the pool, such as the deep end. Lastly, if a guard is working the closing shift there are several tasks one must do to close down the pool. The most important task is cleaning the sauna and steam room, which can be disgusting at times. Also all the trash located on the pool deck must be disposed of and the trash cans must be emptied. The mats must be cleaned and the locker room entrances to the pool must be locked. The trauma kit must be checked for functionality and finally the pool lights must be turned off. After learning all of these things, one is finally considered a lifeguard, and may live their life in content knowing they have what it takes to save a life. Baywatch might look vain and shallow compared to what the real lifeguards
of today are required to know and do. Pools around the world would be much different without the supervision of trained lifeguards, and very dangerous at that. Not only is it impressive to be a lifeguard but it also looks good on a resume. It shows that one is diligent and responsible let alone qualified to save someone from death. It also provides important knowledge and people skills that are valuable in every day life. Becoming a lifeguard is extremely beneficial and not too difficult as long as motivation and determination are present.