Training Lifeguards Like True First Responders

Did you know that there are more lifeguards than emergency medical technicians (EMTs) in the United States? It is a fact! Lifeguards play a vital community role in providing prehospital, emergency medical care to those in need and are often the 'first' first responders to a medical or traumatic emergency. When minutes matter, most towns and cities have 4- to 6-minute response times for emergency medical services to arrive and training trending toward requiring continuing education for lifeguards, it is important to train them like the true first responders they are. Continuing education fills the gap between initial certification and perfecting their skills. This session will provide a framework for putting together a more effective, go-to training resource for your organization with the goal of empowering lifeguard confidence when dealing with an emergency situation. This session will also cover setting up a virtual aquatics training classroom and designing your own custom online training programs, as well as where to find great training resources. 

Learning Objectives:

1. Recognize their organization's need for more lifeguard training and know where to start when thinking about making and implementing changes. 
2. Be able to confidently implement new training modalities and methods with copious resources to be made available to staff. 
3. Feel empowered to set up a 'virtual training classroom' of their own that will address the individual needs within their own organizations.