Lifeguard Test- Study Guide
Recognition & Response
Friday, March 26
Chapter 1
The primary responsibility of a professional lifeguard is to ensure patron safety
and protect lives.
–Preventing injuries by minimizing or eliminating hazardous situations or
behaviors.
–Enforcing rules and regulations
•Respond quickly to all emergencies
•Administer first aid, CPR/AED
•Communicating- when more help or equipment is needed
•Secondary responsibilities of a LG are the other tasks they are responsible
for:
•Secondary responsibilities must NEVER prevent the LG from meeting his/her
primary responsibility.
–Performing maintenance (pool chemistry, equipment checks, vacuum and
clean)
•Secondary responsibilities can include
–Filling out required records and reports
–Performing maintenance (pool chemistry, equipment checks, vacuum and
clean)
–Inspecting the facility daily and reporting any unsafe conditions to supervisor.
Decision Making
• Decision making can be difficult, especially in an emergency…
• F – Figure out the problem
• I - Identify possible solutions
• N – Name the pros & cons for each solution
• D – Decide which solution is best
Legal Considerations
 Duty to act
 Standard of care
 Negligence
 Good Samaritan laws
 Consent
 Refusal of care
 Abandonment
 Confidentiality
 Documentation
Duty to Act
• As a professional rescuer you have a duty to act at the scene of an
emergency.
• Scope of Practice-you may act in w/in what you you were trained for
Negligence
• Failing to provide care
• Providing care beyond your level of training
• Providing inappropriate care
• Failing to control or stop any behaviors that could result in further harm or
injury
Consent
• State your name
• Tell the victim you are trained to help & what level
• Ask the victim if you can help
• Explain what you planned to do
• Battery-touching a person without consent
Refusal of Care
• Some injured or ill may refuse care
• You must honor their wishes
• A parent can refuse care for a minor
Advanced Directives
• Written instructions regarding medical treatment: DNRs, living wills.
• Confidentiality- you may learn something about the victim that is private and
confidential. Do not share this info, except with EMS personnel.
Chapter 2
Preventing Injuries: Patron Safety
• Risk management identifying dangerous conditions/behaviors that can cause
injury and then taking steps to minimize them.
• Preventive lifeguarding-Most time will be spent on trying to make sure
emergencies don’t happen.
Examples of Life-threatening Injuries
• Submersion (nonfatal/drowning)
• Injuries to the head, neck or back (spinal injuries)
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Unconsciousness
Breathing emergencies
Cardiac emergencies
Severe bleeding
Emergencies
• The two most serious aquatic emergencies to prevent are drowning and head,
neck or back injuries.
• Drowning- happens when a person suffocates in the water.
How are patrons informed of a
potential injury at an aquatic facility?
Rules and Regulations
 Lifeguards need to understand the rules and regulations of the facility where
they work.
 Rules do not keep patrons from having fun, but are for everyone’s health and
safety.
Safety Checks
 Safety checks are conducted—
– Before opening the facility.
– During daily operations.
– At closing.
If you find an unsafe an unsafe condition, correct it if possible before the
facility opens. If you cannot correct the problem, tell the LG supervisor
immediately.
Safety Checks
• While you are conducting a safety check, you find a large crack on the pool
deck near the deep end. You should—
• Answer: Close off the area and tell the lifeguard supervisor right away.
Weather Conditions
 Lightning and thunderstorms happen more often in the summer.
 In the event of thunder and lightning, lifeguards should…
 Clear everyone from the water at the first sound of thunder or first sight of
lightning.
Patron Surveillance
 A lifeguard’s primary responsibility is to ensure patron safety and protect lives.
 The primary tool to accomplish that function is patron surveillance—keeping a
close watch over people in the facility.
 You will spend most of your time on patron surveillance.
 You must be alert and attentive at all times
Chapter 3
The RID Factor
 Most drownings at supervised swim areas happen when neither lifeguards nor
patrons notice that a victim has slipped below the surface.
 RID
– Recognition
– Intrusion
– Distraction
Emergency Action Plans (EAPs)
 EAPs are detailed plans describing everyone’s responsibilities in an
emergency and should be in the facility’s policies and procedures manual.
 EAPs should be practiced regularly during orientation and in-service training
sessions.