Lifeguard

Qualifications

• Required: American Red Cross Lifeguarding/First Aid/CPR/AED certification
• Required: Quarterly demonstration of physical lifeguarding skills
• Required: 6 months experience as a lifeguard or equivalent swim team experience
• PREFERRED: High School Diploma

Job Summary

The Aquatic Rehab Center Lifeguard is responsible for the prevention of accidents, safety, emergency and lifesaving interventions, and the protection of human life at HSC’s Aquatic Rehab Center while on duty.

Physical Demands

• Stand or walk 20%-40% of each shift.
• Sit 60%-80% of each shift.
• Perform physical skills including lifting, reaching, bending, twisting, kneeling, squatting, climbing, and pushing/pulling up to 40% of each shift.
• Able to run and swim short distances as related to rescue techniques on rare occasion.
• Lift and carry up to 50 pounds on an occasional basis.
• Grasp with both hands-on frequent basis to handle equipment and assist patients and members.
• Fine hand manipulation with one hand is required on occasional basis to manipulate small objects.
• Maintain the ability to demonstrate physical lifeguarding skills such as 500-yard swim, brick retrieval with a 40-yard swim, submerged victim rescue, passive and active victim rescue, spinal injury rescue.

Cognitive Demands

• Continuous alertness required to observe swimmers, conforming with established rules, and standards of practice to ensure swimmer safety and prevent accidents, drownings.
• Familiarity with general medical terms and definitions.
• Basic writing proficiency needed for written reports including accident/incident reports and the ability to express self clearly.
• Problem-solving skills needed for critical decision-making regarding appearance, behavior of swimmers and determining the need for any type of lifeguarding/lifesaving response.

Work Demands

• Working primarily indoors around water and associated chemicals.
• Schedule fluctuation is frequent and at times unpredictable.
• Occasional exposure to water borne or blood borne pathogens/blood/body fluids.
• Need to respond to water, medical and/or behavioral emergency situations.
• Responsibility to find coverage for his/her shift in the event of an absence.

Essential Functions

• Maintains constant surveillance of the pool area, recognizing and responding effectively to safety and emergency situations.
• Effectively implements lifeguarding, lifesaving, and first aid measures, using appropriate equipment and supplies.
• Adheres to and enforces regulations, policies, and standards of practice for lifeguarding, safety, accident prevention and infection control.
• Demonstrates proper equipment handling and participates in equipment management, setup, care, storage and maintenance.
• If employee is a Water Safety Instructor:
• Effectively designs and teaches swimming lessons to participants of all ages and varying swimming abilities that support the general teaching outlines provided by the American Red Cross Swimming Program.
• Plans and organizes lesson plans, methods and goals to provide a high level of quality instruction for all participants.
• Evaluates swimmers to determine if skill requirements have been met and assigns grade based on the grading criteria for the level.