Lifeguarding can undoubtedly be a demanding job; it may take a toll on you physically, mentally, or even emotionally. From long hours spent under the hot sun or in a humid, chlorine-scented setting to constantly yelling at misbehaving kids and having to clean locker rooms or pool decks, guarding is far from a day at the beach.
Due to its very nature, lifeguarding should never be a 24/7 solo kind of job. Guards will likely change shifts or at the very least rotate positions or chairs while on duty. To maintain the highest level of safety and make for a smooth transition while alternating, it is of vital importance to communicate with your co-workers and always remain conscious of the aquatic environment around you.
In terms of rotating positions, always be mindful of the time if you’re the guard in charge of initiating it. Whether you change spots hourly or every 15 minutes, it’s essential and more effective to remain consistent during rotations—especially if one of those positions is the much desired “down guard,” who gets a brief break. During the actual maneuvers, establish which person will be in charge of keeping an eye on the pool if rotations involve climbing up or down a chair.
For changing shifts, the same above rules apply. In addition, always arrive to work on time and be ready to guard as soon as the previous shift is scheduled to be done. It should be standard protocol to ask the guard you’re relieving about any pertinent information about the swimmers, weather, or any other relevant knowledge. Sharing is definitely caring.
Share
6 comments:
Not bad at all keep writing you are helping the cause....................Mark G
http://lacitylifeguards.pyroinnovations.com/Markg/
Good Job Kelsey ,
You are contributing really gr8 piece of information .. please keep it up.
Become Certified Life Guard
Sometimes lifeguarding makes you wonder if all the training and certifications were worth it.
lifeguardinfo.com shows you got to get the certifications
Http://lifeguardinfo.com
Video shows girl being treated after near-drowning
Tuesday, September 8, 2015 ~ Updated 5:43 PM
By Lindsay Jones and Bob Miller ~ Southeast Missourian
(Photo)
A image from a Facebook video shows a Cape Splash worker trying to resuscitate a girl who nearly drowned in the pool Monday.
[Click to enlarge]
A cellphone video of a teenage girl being resuscitated after a near-drowning at Cape Splash on Monday was beginning to go viral on social media Tuesday.
In response to the incident, several were questioning whether lifeguards reacted appropriately when a teenager, who apparently could not swim, waded into the deep end of a 9-foot pool.
The video captured Terrell Butler Sr. performing CPR on the girl, but the footage did not include what happened prior to Butler's involvement in the rescue.
Butler declined to comment Monday immediately after the incident and could not be reached for comment Tuesday. His daughter said the description of an aquatic supervisor saying lifeguards on duty "followed emergency protocol to the T" was not accurate.
In a Facebook message to the Southeast Missourian, Breaunte Butler, who is Terrell Butler's daughter, said her father didn't want to comment until the teenager was out of the hospital and doing OK. But she characterized the situation as her father jumping in when the lifeguards didn't handle the situation properly. Butler Sr. studied paramedic/EMT at Three Rivers College, according to his Facebook page.
In the video, lifeguards can be seen assisting with compressions.
Emergency responders were called about 4 p.m. Monday, when a teenage girl was pulled out of the deep end of a pool on a busy Labor Day afternoon -- the last of the season for Cape Splash.
Julia Thompson, the city's parks and recreation director, said Tuesday lifeguards at the scene retrieved the girl from the pool's bottom and started performing CPR and chest compressions on her.
It's unclear how long the victim was underwater, but a statement issued later by Nicolette Brennan of the city's communications department said she was unresponsive at first.
"At 4 p.m. on Labor Day at Cape Splash, a teenage girl entered the 9-foot-deep section of the pool but did not return immediately to the surface," Brennan's email stated. "Lifeguards responded in seconds to rescue her from the bottom of the pool."
Added Thompson: "She was resuscitated by the time the EMTs got there."
It is unclear where the girl was taken for treatment or how she is doing, as city staff cited health privacy laws.
Mark Starnes, battalion chief at the Cape Girardeau Fire Department, said by the time emergency responders arrived from the fire department, she "was alert and screaming."
"Lifeguards had her revived by the time we got there," Starnes said.
Terrell Butler pitched in before the official EMTs arrived.
On Butler's personal Facebook page, he wrote that "accidents can happen to anyone at any time. No one is to blame. Let's all thank God (the victim) is OK. God is the only hero because he placed us all in the right place at the right time."
The video posted online by Butler's son-in-law shows the victim lying still at the side of the pool surrounded by lifeguards. As one begins doing chest compressions, Butler, who was standing nearby, jumps in and begins CPR. After that, the lifeguards appear to stand back while he works, then the video narrator says, "I think he got her. I think he got her back, y'all. ... Thank you, Jesus!"
Video location of rescue:
https://video-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hvideo-xpf1/v/t42.1790-2/11974969_929960793732224_1383089907_n.mp4?efg=eyJybHIiOjc3NywicmxhIjoxNjk4fQ%3D%3D&rl=777&vabr=432&oh=d0df92db70db1ccb37070c627e29cb6b&oe=55F079D1
Post a Comment