Where should I lifeguard?

 

img_0419Summer 2018 is approaching sooner rather than later. If you have not had a chance to think about this, then now is the time. Often lifeguards want to know the best places to lifeguard. Lifeguards have options, as they are needed. You can guard at a day camp, a commercial pool company, at a theme park, swim club, fitness center, or for private parties. Each location has their pros and cons. However, only you can decide. Here are some questions to ask:

  1. What does my summer schedule look like?
  2. Do I want to work at a job where there are many lifeguards, management on deck at all times, paid lunches and breakfasts, an opportunity to enjoy special events, teach swim lessons, and make money on the side guarding for events?
  3. Do I want to work at a community pool where I am potentially the only lifeguard?
  4. How much money will I make?
  5. Do I have a contracted work schedule or does the place have flexible scheduling?
  6. Will the employer pay for my certification training, or will I have to pay for my certification training?
  7. When does college or school start?
  8. What opportunities do I get to build my resume?
  9. Are there promotional opportunities?

Answers:

  • Day Camps- If you are looking for a location where it’s very social, meals are provided, training is covered, and you have a fixed schedule you will enjoy working at a day camp.
  • Commerical Pool Company’s- these locations are great for guards who do not mind being by themselves, looking for flexible scheduling opportunities and do not mind paying for their own certification training.

 

3rd Annual Aquatic Conference

Over President’s Day Weekend, my organization hosted it’s third annual aquatics conference at Mercer County Community College. This has been a tradition for my organization, where we train community members and businesses in various Red Cross Aquatics courses. This year we offered three levels of training:

  1. Blended Learning Lifeguard Training R.2017
  2. Lifeguard Instructor Training R.2017
  3. Lifeguard Instructor/Instructor Training Review Course R.2017

It was an amazing weekend getting to work with various professionals, college students, and high school students to prepare them for the upcoming summer season. I want to congratulate everyone on their hard work and determination in completing their courses, even during a snowy weekend where the roads were slippery. These guys did not care, as they wanted to complete their training. I highly recommend taking your Red Cross training courses with us because we offer great instructor to participant ratios where individuals get individual training from our high quality trained instructors. Even more so, I highly recommend current and new lifeguard training instructors/ instructor trainers to take their review course with us. During our instructor/instructor trainer review course, you will have the opportunity to meet with our instructor trainers, go over important updates regarding course administration guidelines, preferred standardized teaching practices, practice and polish skills, and network with other instructors around the tristate area. The instructors at first were nervous and unsure of what to expect, but once the climate was set, everyone opened up and was willing to share ideas and strategies to teach our lifeguard training programs consistently and with integrity.

We have posted our spring lifeguard training course schedule, and we are currently working on administering another instructor level course for those interested in training new lifeguards. Customers have already begun to enroll for their classes so they can complete their online course work. The instructors will be going through an in-service training at the end of April to make sure that our May and June classes run smoothly. If you have questions about our aquatics training program, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Bowerland FL School Shooting

I want to wish all of the students, faculty, administration, and their families who are part of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School nothing but prayers and positive energy. I can not imagine what all of you had to endure today. For those who lost friends, family members, teachers, etc. Condolences to you, your families, and loved ones. To Sheriff Israel, I am so proud and thankful of how you handled all of the communication today with the reporters. Sheriff Israel, you were professional, clear, and able to hold yourself together. You also displayed patience when reporters were asking you questions, so audiences around the country can understand what was going on. More importantly, you treated the children and possible staff members with dignity and respect.

I myself am a school teacher. I love what I do, I love who I work for, I also love my colleagues, and most importantly the students that I teach. We go over how to respond if there is an active shooter inside and outside the building, but as these teachers and students said on the news, it is a much different story when you face an active shooter in real life. Furthermore, it saddens me to know that our children have to see friends and teachers wounded, screaming for help, crying, or even having to question whether or not this might be their last day. School is supposed to be a place where you learn who you are. I do not know what the right answer is, other than to tell an adult if you hear anything that can jeopardize your safety as well as others.

Moreover, I want to compliment the bravery of the students who used their phones and social media accounts to let the police, reporters, your friends, and family know whether you were okay, or if someone needed help. The video of the students sitting in the classroom while gun shots were going off was absolutely terrifying and disturbing to watch.

I condemn the actions of the School shooter today, and hope that justice prevails for the students, faculty, administrators, and their families to bring closure. I hope that our nation comes up with strict gun laws that prevent the wrong people from getting their hands on these weapons. One of the students said that in order to heal “we need to not be divided, and show empathy towards others.” This student could not be more correct. We need to remember that there are others who are having more trouble. Even more so, we need to just stop and listen. I ask everyone to reflect on what this student said, and follow the news to stay informed!