Lifeguard Courses Overview

Lifeguard courses are designed to prepare students for lifeguard and swim life safety jobs. It can also be a great career change for someone looking for a change of pace or a new career. Lifeguard courses give students the opportunity to get hands-on training on everything from first aid to swimming safety to lifesaving techniques. Lifeguard courses provide information on these topics as well as practical training in water rescue. This training can come in handy when you’re out on a summer’s night, when there are sudden storms or even just when it rains.

Before you sign up for the lifeguard course, you should know what lifeguard training courses prerequisites are. A majority of lifeguards are required to take part in the recommended training and exams, which are offered throughout the nation. There are states and local districts that have their own requirements for enrolling. Some districts require prospective lifeguards to undergo background checks and drug tests. To find out more, contact your local aquatic facility or check the requirements with your state’s department of health.

Lifeguard courses require several components before participants can successfully complete the program. These include classroom and on-the-job training, CPR and First Aid training, and swimming exam. The classroom portion usually takes about a year and a half, including classroom lectures and exercises. Most courses require students to successfully pass a written exam before being awarded a certificate.

CPR and First Aid are taught in this curriculum along with swimming skills. To earn lifeguard certification, students must demonstrate they are able to provide CPR and First Aid for at least 15 minutes. To do this, they must demonstrate both chest and arm CPR. To learn the basic crawl stroke, students must complete a course specific to this skill.

Lifeguard courses cover the basics of lifeguard bathing technique. Students learn to stand on one’s own, using both arms to help pull people out of water and making sure they don’t get into the water in the first place. Lifeguard instructors are trained to spot drowning victims and rescue them from dangerous situations. They also educate students about red cross certification and how to use the device. Red Cross certification is required by most states, although some only require it for selected emergency situations such as heart attacks.

Lifeguard instructors are trained to work quickly to get people who cannot swim out of the water on their own to safety. Lifeguards are typically made to swim laps, demonstrating their ability to swim two minutes in accordance with the conditions. Lifeguards are also asked to perform timed events within 1 minute and take a swim goggles with them during the event.