Managing Lifeguards Effectively.

The initial period of a lifeguard's employment at an aquatic facility often serves to set the tone for their entire experience.

Effective lifeguards are the cornerstones to a successful risk management program at any aquatic facility. Properly functioning lifeguards not only serve to prevent accidents, but also often assist with facility cleanliness and enhance patron enjoyment of the aquatic facility. However, lifeguards are only effective if trained and managed properly. If improperly managed, they may become a detriment to your facility by disregarding facility supervision and thus endangering patron safety. By implementing a few simple lifeguard management procedures you can improve your aquatic staff effectiveness.

New Lifeguard Orientation

The initial period of a lifeguard's employment at an aquatic facility often serves to set the tone for their entire experience. Due to this fact proper training and orientation for an aquatic staff member is essential.

Key to the orientation process is the aquatic staff manual. This document should contain all aquatic facility policies and procedures including, but not limited to: opening and closing the facility, emergency procedures, cash handling, staff conduct, payroll, and chain of command chart. New lifeguards should be issued their own copy of this manual. New lifeguards should review this document with their supervisor and are expected to know the major parts. This manual should be reviewed annually and revised as needed.

Prior to beginning their first shift, new hires should be given a facility orientation tour by a head lifeguard or crew chief. This tour should include not only the natatorium area, but also the entire facility. The tour should encompass locker rooms, storage spaces, filter rooms, office areas, emergency passageways, and exits. Particular attention should be paid to items such as light switches, and operation of equipment such as public address systems and wheelchair lifts.

Be sure to inform your new guard about items such as where to sit on rotation, how long rotations should be, and what equipment they should take to the stand with them such as rescue tubes or two way radios. It is often helpful to have this tour given by someone lower on the chain of command than the aquatic director as the new staff member may feel more comfortable asking questions of this person.

Know Your Staff

It's important for aquatic managers to know who their staff are if they're to be effective in leading them. Managers should know information about their staff such as: educational level, age, career aspirations, and skill level.

Knowing what your staff desire from you in terms of number of hours and shift time preference allows you to consider these elements when scheduling your staff. While you cannot always accommodate everyone's preferences, showing a solid attempt to do so you stand a much better chance of retaining your staff.

Being aware of your lifeguards' career aspirations will enable you to prepare those staff members for the greater responsibility they may be seeking. You may wish to structure your lifeguards on a hierarchy system from lifeguard through shift supervisor to head lifeguard. As employees gain more experience they may progress up the chain to greater responsibility and potentially better pay. This serves as an incentive for the guard to stay with the organization and improve their performance. It's important to identify potential leaders early in their tenure with your agency and allow them opportunities to develop in this area.

Be aware of those lifeguards who are college students, particularly if your facility is seasonal. (College lifeguards often have periods of the year when they either return to home or school for the off or school season depending on where they are when you hire them.) If you work with your guards to make transition back to school or home easier, knowing that they may wish to leave early to get to school, you stand a much better chance of retaining their services. If you are rigid in forcing them to adhere to an end of the season close date, they may simply leave regardless, and not return. The result is a loss of experienced lifeguards for your agency in future seasons.

Be Visible and Available

The aquatics manager should regularly make themselves visible at the natatorium. This may take the form of a periodic walk through or drop in visit. When visiting the facility and staff, the aquatic manager should check to see that all staff are present and performing their duties. The correct number of guards should be supervising the pool and should be checked that they are in the proper stand or on walking patrol as directed. All staff should be checked for proper uniform and equipment. If orientation has been properly accomplished, there will be no question as to what are the proper uniform and equipment requirements. Staff who are not on duty should be engaged in other duties assigned such as cleaning, checking patron ID, or manning the first aid station.

Supervising the staff does not have to be an opportunity to catch them making a mistake. It can be an opportunity to assist them with small problems before they become large ones. It gives staff an opportunity to report maintenance problems, critical equipment failures and supply shortfalls on an immediate basis. Lifeguards can also request assistance from management for problems they cannot handle such as patron complaints or staff conflict issues. By regularly being present at the aquatic facility, the manager can practice "preventative supervision," staff are much less likely to be lax if they suspect the manager may appear at any moment.

The manager should also make every effort to attend all staff meetings and in-service training sessions,. Doing so serves several purposes. By being present at staff meetings and training sessions the manager sends the message to the lifeguards that training and meetings are important and that the manager feels strongly enough about it to invest their time in it. It also allows the manager to see what training is being carried out and to determine if it is adequate, appropriate, and technically accurate. Preferably, training and some meetings will be organized and delivered by head lifeguards and crew chiefs as part of their leadership development and expanded responsibilities.

Managers should also seek to be available to their staff for important problems that may arise. Issues such as payroll problems, discrimination, and harassment are best dealt with by the professional aquatic manager and not by the head lifeguard.

Managers should indicate to employees that their door is open for these major issues but other more minor issues, for example scheduling problems, should be brought through the chain of command.

Document Everything

It is important that aquatic managers document everything that occurs regarding personnel and training issues. We live in a litigious society and failure to provide proper documentation regarding these issues leaves your agency vulnerable in the event of a lawsuit.

Lifeguards should have their own personnel file. This file should contain a copy of their application, resume, letters of reference, certifications, employment authorization, and copies of their social security card and driver's license. Copies of disciplinary write ups or good work reports should also be included. This documentation proves that the employee was eligible for employment and properly hired. Copies of certification prove that the lifeguard was qualified at the time of employment. These certifications should be regularly checked for currency and renewed prior to expiration.

Maintaining records regarding discipline and commendation allows management to justify termination or promotion of a lifeguard should a personnel action be questioned.

Equally as important as staff files are in-service training records. Each time a staff meeting or training session is held, a record of minutes and attendance should be taken typed and stored electronically. This record should be posted in the staff office for all employees to view, with a copy stored in a permanent training log. This verifies that training is carried out at the facility and records employee attendance.

Conclusion

Managing lifeguards effectively requires a combination of genuine concern for your aquatic staff coupled with vigilant supervision and record keeping. Successful management of your aquatic staff can result in a more motivated, loyal, and effective employee. Should you fail to manage your employees effectively you may be faced with poor staff retention and the possibility of compromising patron safety and supervision.

Paul Fawcett is the coordinator of the aquatics minor program in the School of Physical Education at Ball State University. He has supervised lifeguards at pools and waterfronts at Universities, YMCAs, community recreation programs and camps. Fawcett is a regular writer in the area of aquatics and safety and offers suggestions for managing lifeguard staff in his article, "Managing Lifeguards Effectively".