Life-threatening emergencies happen every day. 99% of these emergencies go largely unnoticed by news organizations and the general public. The reason for this is because the responders are well prepared and able to quell any potential tragedy. As a lifeguard, you are bound to experience your fair share of emergency situations and are responsible for being the first to respond to them. The biggest key to a successful response is good preparation. Keep these tips in mind as you are preparing your responses to emergency situations.
1. Make Sure Your Have Back-Up : Unless you work at a single-guard facility, chances are you will be responsible to watch only a portion of the water at your facility. When emergency strikes while you are on duty, it is your responsibility to ensure you have back-up coverage in your zone. It is common for the other guards on duty to pick up portions of your zone when you have to leave your chair. Another common practice is to have an off-duty guard, take the chair and scan your area. You will also need to be prepared to take over for another lifeguard that leaves their chair for a rescue. Make sure you build good rapport with the other guards and know your facility's Emergency Action Plan (EAP).
2. Clear the Water : Another possible response to an emergency is to clear the swimming area. If the water is very crowded or the bystanders are put in danger by the emergency, you will want to have everyone evacuated out of the water. This responsibility may fall on the lifeguard who isn't the primary responder. Make sure you communicate with them to inform them if the water needs to be cleared. Another reason to consider clearing the swimming area is if the emergency will require multiple lifeguards to respond. If multiple lifeguards need to assist and there are not enough guards to watch the adjusted zones, you will need to clear the water.
3. Call for Additional Help : There may be a situation that calls for care that you are not certified to administer. Any time there is a situation that involves a life-threatening emergency, you will need to contact local EMS. You may work at a facility that employs EMS personnel, such as a nurse, and you will want to contact them before dialing 9-1-1 or your local emergency number. If you don't have professional emergency personnel on site, you will need to dial your local emergency number. There should be contact information posted next to every telephone on site with detailed instructions.
4. Controlling Crowds : When an emergency occurs at crowded facilities, you will need to control the crowds so that you can provide the proper care. An area may need to be roped off or a barrier set up using available chairs. If you sense that you and the other lifeguards alone will not be able to section off an appropriate area, recruit a bystander to help you with controlling the crowd. If your facility has a public address system, make sure to utilize this. In any situation, you will need to speak clearly and firmly to ensure that you get the proper space you will need. Make sure there is a clear path when EMS arrives and keep children and bystanders out of any additional danger.
5. Evacuation : If you watch the news for 10 minutes every night, you may think that severe weather and violence is becoming more prevalent in society. The truth is that these threats have always been there. Being the lifeguard on duty, you must be ready to respond should one of these emergencies occur. Your facility's EAP should give you detailed instructions on how to respond to these situations. Be prepared to use the predetermined signal to clear the water and instruct patrons to safety whenever these emergencies occur. When it is necessary to evacuate the facility, make sure you are checking all areas for guests and patrons that may be out of plain sight such as in locker rooms or in concession areas. You will want to make sure that local emergency responders are contacted by calling 9-1-1 or dialing your local emergency line. It is important that you not let any guests return to the facility until it is cleared by the local emergency response team.
2. Clear the Water : Another possible response to an emergency is to clear the swimming area. If the water is very crowded or the bystanders are put in danger by the emergency, you will want to have everyone evacuated out of the water. This responsibility may fall on the lifeguard who isn't the primary responder. Make sure you communicate with them to inform them if the water needs to be cleared. Another reason to consider clearing the swimming area is if the emergency will require multiple lifeguards to respond. If multiple lifeguards need to assist and there are not enough guards to watch the adjusted zones, you will need to clear the water.
3. Call for Additional Help : There may be a situation that calls for care that you are not certified to administer. Any time there is a situation that involves a life-threatening emergency, you will need to contact local EMS. You may work at a facility that employs EMS personnel, such as a nurse, and you will want to contact them before dialing 9-1-1 or your local emergency number. If you don't have professional emergency personnel on site, you will need to dial your local emergency number. There should be contact information posted next to every telephone on site with detailed instructions.
4. Controlling Crowds : When an emergency occurs at crowded facilities, you will need to control the crowds so that you can provide the proper care. An area may need to be roped off or a barrier set up using available chairs. If you sense that you and the other lifeguards alone will not be able to section off an appropriate area, recruit a bystander to help you with controlling the crowd. If your facility has a public address system, make sure to utilize this. In any situation, you will need to speak clearly and firmly to ensure that you get the proper space you will need. Make sure there is a clear path when EMS arrives and keep children and bystanders out of any additional danger.
5. Evacuation : If you watch the news for 10 minutes every night, you may think that severe weather and violence is becoming more prevalent in society. The truth is that these threats have always been there. Being the lifeguard on duty, you must be ready to respond should one of these emergencies occur. Your facility's EAP should give you detailed instructions on how to respond to these situations. Be prepared to use the predetermined signal to clear the water and instruct patrons to safety whenever these emergencies occur. When it is necessary to evacuate the facility, make sure you are checking all areas for guests and patrons that may be out of plain sight such as in locker rooms or in concession areas. You will want to make sure that local emergency responders are contacted by calling 9-1-1 or dialing your local emergency line. It is important that you not let any guests return to the facility until it is cleared by the local emergency response team.
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