Lifeguarding may seem like a stereotypically easy summer job, but have you ever thought about what it takes to make it to that guard chair? Over this weekend and the following one, the Ohio University Aquatic Center is running a Life Guard Certification course. The Life Guard Certification class started this past Friday with a swim and skills test to see if participants qualified to take the class. Participants had to complete a 300-meter swim in less than ten minutes, tread water, and retrieve a diving brick from the bottom of the Aquatic Center diving well to participate in the course.
Those passing the initial assessment will spend the two weekends learning and demonstrating a variety of skills that include CPR, first aid, water rescues, back boarding (on land and in water), surveillance skills, and emergency management. Skills are taught in and out of the water through classroom time and pool practice. These are not short classes. Typically, an average day for a Life Guard class lasts from 9 AM to 6:30 PM.
After the two weekends of training, participants must pass several final skill tests before being certified as Life Guards. These include a written final for CPR and First Aid and a final practical test of life-saving skills in the water.
So, the next time you look at that individual in the life guarding chair, be conscious of the skill and dedication that it took to get there.
Wood River Rock 