Lifeguard Qualifications

A QUALIFIED LIFEGUARD shall: 1) Have successfully completed an AHJ-recognized lifeguard training course offered by an AHJ-recognized training agency, 2) Possess a current certificate for such training, 3) Have met all pre-service requirements, and 4) Participate in continuing in-service training requirements of the AQUATIC FACILITY.

Every day, about ten people die from unintentional drowning⁴⁵⁶. Of these, two are children aged 14 or younger. Drowning is the fifth leading cause of unintentional injury death for people of all ages, and the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children ages 1 to 14 years⁴⁵⁷. From 2005-2009, there were on average 3,533 fatal unintentional drowning (non-boating related) in the United States per year and more than one in five people who die from drowning are children 14 and younger⁴⁵⁸. More than 50% of drowning victims treated in emergency departments require hospitalization or transfer for higher levels of care (compared to a hospitalization rate of 6% for all unintentional injuries)⁴⁵⁹,⁴⁶⁰. Nonfatal drowning can cause brain damage that may result in long-term disabilities including memory problems, learning disabilities, and permanent loss of basic functioning (e.g., permanent vegetative state).⁴⁶¹,⁴⁶² Appropriately trained lifeguards are one way to reduce this risk at public AQUATIC VENUES.