NOT RESCUE READY

From the American Red Cross Lifeguarding manual: "When performing patron surveillance, always keep the rescue tube ready to use.

Keep the strap of the rescue tube over the shoulder and neck.

Hold the rescue tube across your thighs when sitting in a lifeguard chair or across your stomach when standing.

Hold the excess line to keep it from getting caught in the chair or other equipment when you move or start a rescue."

A lifeguard at a national park pool using her rescue tube as a footrest instead of having it in her lap, ready for use,

As I watched this pool briefly I saw two other guards demonstrate that they were bored: one was twirling his whistle, and another absentmindedly tapped her rescue tube in her lap as if it were a bongo drum.

When some of these guards rotated and changed positions they did not make certain that the pool zone was being watched by at least one of them the whole time.

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Ken Mignosa took the photo on the left Saturday, July 22, 2006 at the JSSL (Junipero Serra Swim League) Championships his son was competing in. The photo on the right is at a national park hotel swimming pool. There were only a few people swimming that morning. The third and fourth photos were shot at a different national park pool in 2010. When the lifeguard came on duty (the only guard on duty) there were two people swimming laps. When she got out a book and started reading one swimmer got out of the pool to take the picture.

In all cases perhaps the guards were overconfident about the swimming skill of the pool patrons?

In American Red Cross Lifeguarding we read: "Drowning and injuries can happen in an instant"

and

"Distractions ... affect patron surveillance: for example, a lifeguard talking with other lifeguards or friends. A brief conversation might seem innocent, but during that time you could miss the 20 to 60 second struggle of a young child. The child could die because you were distracted. You should not engage in social conversations while you are on duty."

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On the left, at a California State University, a lifeguard on duty with her feet on her rescue tube. My students tell me they have seen guards at this facility with their feet on their rescue tube AND talking on a cell phone AND eating lunch, at the same time. To the right, a lifeguard at a California Bay Area private university, with their feet on their rescue tube instead of having the tube ready to go in their arms.

The lifeguards are often on duty alone and responsible for an entire Olympic sized pool, about 25 yards by 50 meters. There is no position you can guard from at that size of pool that allows you to see the entire surface and bottom of the pool.

The person who took the next photos (a lifeguard) was attending classes held in the pool. This lifeguard on duty at a University of California campus is sitting far up in the pool side bleachers and can't see the whole pool bottom. He would not be able to get to the water quickly to do a rescue, and would seem to have his eyes on something in his lap rather than on the water (see closeup on the right).

In this last photo we can see that the lifeguard is sitting on his rescue tube:

At a private club in Santa Clara County, July 2009, the person who took these photos (a lifeguard) was visiting the pool as a patron. He reported watching as guards on duty chatted with friends and played catch with a football:

A relative of one of my lifeguard training graduates sent this photo of a guard on duty at a Las Vegas hotel:

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This photo of a lifeguard at a local high school was taken on an iphone, so it was difficult to enlarge the close-up, but the end of the red rescue tube is visible under the guard's jacket he has draped over his legs on a cold morning, June 2011.

Below a picture of a pool office with a big corner window that would allow the manager to watch the guards/patrons/lessons, except that it has so many flyers posted in the windows, and a big display just outside, that the view is blocked.

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How long do you suppose this backboard has been sitting out in the sun unused at a local private swim school for the velcro to warp and this many cobwebs to form? How long since they did any in-service training (practice) with it? Where do you suppose the head immobilizer is?

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Guards need to guard from stands or the edge of the deck where they can see the whole surface and the entire bottom of the area they are responsible for.

Here's a job offer on craigslist:

"Certified Lifeguard at Private Club

Date: 2006-11-27, 1:50PM

XYZ Tennis & Swim Club is looking for a CPR, first aid and water safety certified lifeguard for hours at the xyz Rec pool in Xyz Valley. Hours are flexible, however we are primarily looking for morning (approximately 7 - 9am) or evening hours (6 - 8pm). There may be a need for some mid-day and weekend hours as well if you are interested.

Duties include opening and closing the pool, signing-in and supervising recreational lap swimmers, covering the pool at night, testing the pool chemicals at least once during a shift, and some light maintainence.

The pool is located in a quiet rural area, and there are usually no more than 4 - 5 lap swimmers in the pool at a time. There is also a large pool office from which the pool can be monitored during bad weather. "