Lifeguards, lifejackets, parental supervision, swim lessons…in the aquatics profession, we’re all well aware of how important these layers of protection are in keeping our patrons safe. In the event that one system fails, we have multiple backups in place to prevent a tragedy. We know that our best layer of protection is lifeguard supervision. But...
We recently shared the story of Curtis, and the Dangers of Breath-Holding, with a video from Kevin highlighting the importance of banning breath-holding from your pools. We have received several requests for further clarification, and we’d like to take a moment to distinguish between breathing control and breath-holding. There are two primary purposes for...
Just before speaking to a group of...
In this article in The New York Times (Texts From the Lifeguard Chair Are Raising Concerns Over Safety), the author discussed the “sharp rise” in incidents and complaints about lifeguards distracted by text messaging, hypothesizing that the lack of resources and abundance of young, easily distracted lifeguards is to blame. YMCA Aquatics directors are used...
Preventing drowning death is a challenge is so big that it requires support from everyone at your organization, not just the aquatics staff. But getting non-aquatics staff engaged in checking on lifeguards, filling out quick check forms and supporting efforts to make the pool safe, is not always easy. Here is a...
Special events account for about seventy-five percent (75%) of all drowning deaths in YMCAs. Seventy-five percent—three out of every four. This is without a doubt the most dangerous time at your aquatic facility. I hope you have recently viewed the webinar presented by YMCA of the USA and Tom Pearson of...
The final step (in this outline—you may think of more steps, and please share if you do…) is to hold lifeguard accountable for both their positive and negative actions. We ask a lot of lifeguards; tough hours, a repetitive task, 100% vigilance, and, on top of it all the pressure...
Another element to use to get the most out of your lifeguards is to make sure that they are completely engaged in their tasks when on duty. This is not an easy task when the majority of the time is spent scanning the pool—which any lifeguard will tell you can...
The first and most basic step in lifeguard performance management is to ensure that lifeguards are supervised whenever they are in the stand. This does not mean that you need to be on the deck personally every minute of the day, but it does mean that you need to have...
We all know how easy it is to have protocols—each aquatics office is full of books, binders, and filing cabinets full of policies, best practices, rules, and guidelines. The hard part is translating those policies and procedures into practices—getting the safety out of the books and on the pool deck. When the...