Behind the Scenes of a Lifeguard

        Today I am going to take you through the behind-the-scenes of a lifeguard. When many people see a lifeguard, they think that all they do is sit in a stand and watch the water and people swim. But actually, it is much more. Lifeguards are trained in CPR, the AED, First Aid, and administering oxygen, all certified through the American Red Cross. We also handle incident paperwork. We also have to be good with people and know how to talk to adults, teens, and children, especially when they are hot, tired, and hungry. As a lifeguard, I have daily opening and closing tasks. We test the water's chlorine and pH levels to make sure it's safe to swim in. We also check that all of the equipment is ready for use. I work at the Eastern Community YMCA in Oregon, Ohio, and the outdoor pool is a 50-meter pool. The shallow end of the pool is about 3 ft deep, the middle of the pool is about 4ft deep and has two water slides, and the deep end of the pool is 13 ft. deep with a diving board. There is also a kiddie pool that is 1.5 ft deep; this pool is for the toddlers and infants. On a normal day, there are three zones: Shallow/middle, Deep/ middle, and the Kiddie pool. On a hot and busy day, there will be up to 6 zones: Shallow, Middle, Deep, and the Kiddie, Midshallow, and MidDeep. When a lifeguard is watching the pool, the ratio of guard to person is 25 to 1. If you go over 25, then we have to add another guard. Every two weeks, the guards are required to come to in-service training to go over life-saving skills and techniques. At my pool, we are also required to do a mandatory weekly swim, which includes swimming 500 yards, 250 without our tubes, 250 with our tubes, then tread water for at least two minutes, and then, after all of the swimming, we have to retrieve a heavy plastic brick from the deepest part of the pool. When entering the water, we are taught multiple entries,  and we know which one to use depending on the situation. We also have to do 5 rounds of CPR on a dummy. From the stand, we scan the water to ensure that everyone is safe and following the rules.  We keep an eye on people who we think could have some trouble swimming or who look like they might need our help. I have been a Lifeguard for 6 years and have only had to rescue a couple of people, which is a good thing.  I’ve had to jump in a couple of times over the years because people didn't realize that the pool became deeper and couldn't swim. A couple of years ago, four teens came out to the pool after playing two-on-two basketball, and the losers had to jump in the pool. One of the teens was going off the board easily, while the other teen was hesitant to get in. The teens who won the game were kind of pressuring the teen to jump into the water. The teen did, but realized that he could not swim. So I jumped in to save him and brought him to the wall. I had to do some paperwork and make sure the teen was alright. My adrenaline was still going after the rescue, and I didn’t relax until I got home later that night. Lifeguarding is more than a summer job to me. After six years, it has taught me responsibility, awareness, and how to stay calm when it matters most. Most days are routine, but knowing that I am the last line of defense between someone and a tragedy keeps me locked in every single shift. So the next time you see a lifeguard sitting in that stand, know that there is a lot more going on behind the scenes than meets the eye. We are trained, prepared, and always watching, because when that moment comes, every second counts. 

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