Mike
Sandusky, OH
Male, 20
I worked at an extremely busy water park for about two years straight and a summer camp as a beach lifeguard. Working at a water park operating 365 days a year as well as on a beach, I've seen my fair share of interesting scenarios. I've been the good guy with the band-aid, and the bad guy who yells at your kids (for good reason trust me). I'll do my best to answer any questions you have.
Lifeguard tests differ depending on the facility. For example, I've been certified as a lifeguard through the Red Cross, Ellis and Associates, and the Boy Scouts of America, and all have slightly different standards. While all three have a strong focus on CPR and first aid, the three different institutions have slightly different rescue methods. The common ground in the three is that there is usually a timed and endurance based swimming requirement.
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That really depends on the situation, but it is very possible that lifeguards can be held legally liable for their actions. Especially if negligence on the part of the guard can be proven. This is one of the main reasons why I took my job so seriously.
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No, I don't think relationships in the workplace are a good idea. It never seems to end well.
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Absolutely, more than once myself and other lifeguards have been dragged down by swimmers in distress. When someone is drowning, they'll do anything in their power to save themselves in a panic. I'm a pretty big guy and a good swimmer so I was normally never in real danger, but most guards are not as big as me. Because of the danger, it was policy for us at the water park to respond to any incident if we weren't already in a position. Often times those extra people were used in the rescue somehow.
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1. That depends on the size and location if the object. Tweezers or credit cards will take care of things like splinters or bee stings. If the object is larger or in the eye, I would suggest seeking medical attention other than a lifeguard or basic first aid.
2. Try picking up a Boy Scout handbook. I'm fairly familiar with them because I'm an Eagle Scout and there is a ton of great basic first aid information.
3. Absolutely, modern emergency AED's are designed to be used by people who are not medical professionals. Follow the diagrams on the patches of the AED and once you turn it on it will walk you through the use via a voice recording inside the AED.
4. In my water park, the most common emergencies were what we called "guests in distress". Basically people who couldn't swim but thought they could and needed assistance.
I hope I've been helpful. If you have any more questions feel free to ask.
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1. I would say the best thing to avoid when administering first aid would be panic. Often times emergencies can be adrenaline fueled events but like most things if you're calm and confident in your training you'll do fine.
2. Something to strongly execute would be remembering to protect yourself as well as the person in need of first aid. Often times the first step in training to administer first aid in an emergency is to make sure that "the scene is safe". The reason for that is to make sure you don't end up with two victims instead of one. Additionally, proper protective equipment can also be used mainly gloves, or pocket CPR masks in the case of lifeguards, to protect yourself.
3. The best advice I could give to someone who hasn't been trained in first aid in an emergency would be to keep calm and find help.
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If anything it was the water park guards that had a superiority complex due to the amount of rescue activity we would see. While an open water guard might have 4 or 5 rescues in their entire career, it was not uncommon to have 5-10 rescues a day in the water park depending on your position for the day.
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