Lifeguards as educators.

We hire them all the time with great expectations -- bronzed, muscular gods and goddesses with sun bleached hair, dark sunglasses, white cream on their noses, and whistles twirling around their fingers.

But what exactly is a lifeguard? The answer depends, of course, on who you ask. A supervisor, a disciplinarian, a public relations person, a maintenance person, a swimming teacher, a baby-sitter, a first-aider, and a swim coach are all acceptable answers depending on the situation. The responsibilities of lifeguards include recognizing hazards, supervising swimmers, minimizing dangers, educating patrons, enforcing rules, giving assistance, preparing records and reports, and performing additional administrative tasks.

The lifeguards of the not-so-distant past were often superb athletes who had many water-related skills and a love of the water. And they completed rigorous in-water training before getting certified in their trade.

However, a major problem with many of these talented lifeguards was that they simply did not watch the water because they were trained specifically to make rescues, not prevent the need for them. The lifeguards of yesteryear were well trained to respond to emergencies, but too often they didn't expect accidents to happen nor did they consider preventing them.

Today's Lifeguard: A New Breed

Today's lifeguard training, fortunately for us, is much different.

Just recently, a new wave of lifeguarding texts and courses have been developed supporting the premise that lifeguarding is a highly specialized profession. It's true that this profession has evolved from that of rescuer to that of a preventer of accidents.

After reviewing these texts, it becomes evident that the lifeguarding profession actually has been elevated from the area of enforcement to that of education. If lifeguards today are going to reduce accidents and make Patron visits more enjoyable, they must be trained, recruited, and trained even further as educators. Just consider the curriculum they must master: Dealing with the Public, Americans with Disabilities, Diverse Cultures, Alcohol Education, First Aid and CPR, AIDS, Hepatitis B, Skin Cancer, Dehydration, and more.

Lifeguards are responsible not only for preventing injuries, enforcing rules and regulations, recognizing emergencies, and administering first aid; they also are expected to impart their knowledge of water safety and their particular facility to the public.

Additionally, a recent survey indicated that lifeguards prefer to be active and interactive on duty rather than passive. Appropriate interactive activities with patrons apparently help to keep the lifeguards alert. Many believe that if preventive lifeguarding truly is to be effective, lifeguards must be trained as educators. Not only must they be trained in water safety knowledge and skills but they must also know how to impart this specialized information to patrons using the facility. Once lifeguards have all the essentials of preventive lifeguarding, they must be taught how to pass this information along with specific site information to the public.

Following the Leader

Ideally, aquatic facilities must follow the lead of WalMart, where -- when You enter the store -- you are met by a friendly employee who greets you and asks if he or she can help you or alerts you to a special sale. As patrons enter our facilities, we owe it to them to quickly greet and educate them about the specifics of the facility. This could become an official lifeguard station and may become a part of the rotation. The lifeguard does not have to recite every rule; but, for example, as parents enter, they should be reminded to watch their children; adolescents should be shown where the "no diving" zones are; and junior high school students might be reminded to behave while enjoying themselves.

This educational venture is a two-way process. As each patron enters the facility, the guard also gets to know them a little better while educating the patrons on safety and the particulars of the facility. In this fashion, the guard can quickly assess who may be at risk in the facility while giving tips on how they may safeguard and better enjoy themselves while on their visit. The lifeguard will be in a position to smell alcohol on a patron's breath or determine if someone is a stranger who needs extra information. Educating the public in this fashion is quick and easy, and every patron can be "touched" by the lifeguarding staff

Lifeguards Can Teach

As we with our guards, we must look at them as water safety educators rather than simply water safety experts. They no longer can be just authorities; they must become authoritative. If challenged to educate the public, our lifeguards will become more excited about their work and remain more alert. Lifeguarding quickly can become boring and tedious; but if lifeguards are allowed and encouraged to interact with the public without compromising vigilant supervision of those in the water, safer facilities will be the end product.