Educational Qualifications to become a lifeguard:

• There are no such minimum educational qualifications outlined for starting a career as lifeguard.

• However, there are various education courses and certifications that will aid in starting a career as life guard.

• Having primary education qualification helps one to enhance his or her work experience to serve the people better.

• The various courses during the primary education help a person to acquire better interpersonal skill that will help for a good career as life guard.

• However, the minimum age for getting into lifeguard career is defined to be 16 years.

• The lifeguards should possess CPR and the first aid certificate. Also they must have American Red Cross Lifeguard certificate.

• Those lifeguards those teach instructions on water safety should possess water safety instructor certificate.

• In addition to these, majority of the lifeguard positions need a genuine license and there are also few positions of a lifeguard that requires Emergency Medical Technician certificate.

• You can learn certification classes from YMCA and from few programs conducted by the schools.

• American Red Cross offers few courses of the CPR and the first aid.

• While recruiting, the organizations look for those having more patience, those having first aid skills; they also prefer those candidates that are capable of writing reports, they look for those people that can work under stress and those that can respond to the emergency situations very quickly.

• There are also numerous courses and certifications offered in schools and colleges across US related to lifeguard career.

• Few of them are: Course on Lifeguard offered by American Lifeguard Association, course on Lifeguard by American Red Cross Association.

• Also, having experience in training dogs will help for a good growth in lifeguard career.

• There are several places across US where dogs are placed along with human lifeguards to help them with the day to day work.

• The dogs are trained to even go and save people when required.

What does a lifeguard do?

Lifeguard is the person who monitors the activities performed near the pools to prevent accidents and they make sure that the swimmers are safe. They even provide guidelines to those people who swim. They work in the places where swimming is open to the public, like pools, beaches, in schools, hotels and in swim clubs.

Lifeguards are very well trained in water. They know all the techniques of rescuing the swimmer who is getting drowned. They deal with the first aid and also give artificial respiration if required. The main job of the lifeguards is to watch for those situations that lead to accidents. They do not allow kids near the pool; they will not allow dangerous objects in the water. The duties of a life guard changes based on the water body he is patrolling. Few places where a life guard can be employed are beaches, hotels, municipal departments, etc.

The major duty of a lifeguard is to safeguard the swimmers. The lifeguard is provided with the uniform and he should be at the workplace ten minutes before the said time. These guards sit in such a way that the entire pool area or the entire beach area can be viewed clearly. Majority of the lifeguards sit on chairs near water to prevent accidents occurring. As they need to sit on the chair the whole day, these chairs are provided with an umbrella to protect the guards from getting exposed to the sun. There are few life guards who even stay in rowboats in water. With the help of binoculars, they can view the swimming area very clearly.

The lifeguards who work near the pool perform duties like cleaning the pool and its surroundings. They remove objects from the water, clean the dirt, throw the trash away from the pool area; they ensure that the pool is clean and tidy. In few pools, these activities are done by the pool operator. There are lifeguards who even take swimming classes. They give guidelines to the people and also explain the do’s and don’ts to follow while swimming.

Salary of a lifeguard:

• Usually, lifeguards are of need in summer when compared to other seasons. It also depends on the type of climate you stay in.
• There are few places that need a lifeguard for the whole year.
• The salary of a lifeguard starts at a very low range; with experience, on an average a lifeguard can earn up to $20 in an hour.
• Lifeguards are generally paid based on the work he or she does in an hour. Lifeguard at an entry level earns $8 in an hour.
• The salary also depends on several factors like the experience, the location he works, the type of the water body he is patrolling for.
• Some of the lifeguards work as a part time where as few work as permanent lifeguards. The salary earned by the full timers is more when compared to those of the part timers.

Salary based on experience:
Salary earned by the employees in any sector depends on the experience he or she has. As number of years of experience increases, the salary also increases. For example, the lifeguard having one to four years of experience earns the salary in the range of $14,399 – $21,400.

Salary based on the gender:

Salary also varies based on the gender. The male lifeguards seem to earn more when compared to the female lifeguards. Initial salary of a male lifeguard is $17,926 and he is expected to earn $33,000 in a year.

Salary based on employer type:

Salary also depends on other factor called the employer type. There are lifeguards who do part time as well as full time. Lifeguard working in a company is expected to earn the salary in the range of $14,400 – $30,000.

Certification and Licensure to become a lifeguard:

Lifeguards are those that respond to the accidents that occur at pools, lakes, water parks and beaches. They are very well trained on the techniques of life saving and they even provide safety to the swimmers. An individual must take a certification course in order to become a lifeguard. Here are few steps that help you to become a certified lifeguard:

1.    The candidates interested to become a lifeguard should have both the physical and the psychological strength and should be involved in many kinds of duties and should be in a position to deal with stressful conditions. Lifeguards spend most of the time outside and are exposed to all types of climatic conditions. They should be alert when on duty and should be matured enough to deal with the situations.

2.    To become a lifeguard, he or she should complete the certification course. Fifteen years is the minimum age to take the certification. Before the candidate takes up the certification, he should be a good swimmer and should have physical stamina.

There are many agencies that offer lifeguard certification courses; few agencies to be mentioned are the USLA (United States Lifesaving Association), Red Cross and YMCA. The certification process varies depending on the type of agency that offers the certification; generally involve two months of training about water safety, dealing with first aid, rescue techniques and mouth to mouth respiration.

3.    After completion of the certification class, the candidates must and should pass the swimming exam and also the written exam that is conducted to test your confidence level. First aid certification and the lifeguard training are applicable for three years.

We even have additional certification like the emergency medical technician that is required for those willing to work near summer camps and water parks. Lifeguards should also instruct and provide guidelines to the swimmer. Lifeguards can even take up the water safety instructor certification.

4.    Once the person is certified, he then can apply jobs for the position of a lifeguard. Lifeguards make a note of the incidents and also write reports.

Duties and Responsibilities of a lifeguard:

There are many responsibilities a lifeguard should take care of. Few of the duties of a lifeguard are listed below:

• Manage the first aid.
• Keep an eye on the activities happening at the pool.
• They guide the swimmers to read the caution sign boards for their safety.
• Prevents swimmers from getting drowned.
• Follows emergency plans at the time of emergency.
• Cleans the pool on a regular basis.
• Clears dust particles far away from the pool.
• Provides information on pool operation to the visitors and the customers.
• They maintain constant level of water. Checks the reading every day.
• Checks chlorine content in the water with the help of a water testing kit.
• They also need to keep an eye on the rescue tubes and the equipment available in the premises.
• Takes swimming classes.
• Should report for the duty ten minutes before the allotted time.
• Should wear the uniform given and should be in a position when the duty begins.
• When on the duty, should wear proper uniform and should concentrate on the water area.
• Slowly implement the rules and the regulations.
• Be alert and careful when on duty.
• Know your duties in detail when in an emergency.
• Should wear a uniform, cooling glasses and sun helmet to protect them from the sun.
• Be alert to notice the signals that are been given by fellow lifeguards and keep an eye on the things that are unusual in the swimming area.
• Reduce your talks with the public while on duty; if it’s anything important, keep a fellow lifeguard under observation.
• Makes sure that all the gates are locked if not on a duty.
• If anything is going out of your control, report the incident to the manager or to the head of the lifeguard.
• Male use of the available equipment correctly in the area of the swimming pool.
• Keeps the first aid ready for use.
• They should not only guard the patrons, but also should maintain discipline as to make sure the other people are comfortable. Should not hesitate to complain against any incident to the manager.

Skill set to become a lifeguard:

For a person to become a lifeguard, he or she should possess different set of skills. The skills that a lifeguard must have to get a job are as follows:

• He should have the skill of understanding about equipments available at the pool.
• Should know the techniques to maintain the pool.
• Should have knowledge on chlorination systems and know the tips on how to keep the pool clean and tidy.
• Knowledge on procedure to save the people from the danger and the incidents that happen at the pool side.
• Knowledge of terms and conditions to follow while at the pool.
• Should be an expert in swimming.
• Should be alert and should respond very quickly at the time of emergency.
• Skill of rescuing people and administering first aid.
• Should have good observation skills.
• Should be an expert in swimming.
• Should be honest and truthful.
• Should have good eyesight so that it is easy for him to view longer distances.
• Possessing good communication skills can be considered as good add-ons.
• Should be able to work along the team.
• Should understand the risks that are related to the marine conditions.
• Should be patient and calm while working under severe situations.
• Should be polite and strict to those people that are violating the rules.
• Responding and reacting quickly to the dangerous conditions.
• Having experience in training dogs will be an added skill.
• Ability to understand and speak multiple languages will be a good skill for lifeguard.
• This actually will be helpful when handling situations where a crowd is involved.