AMERICAN LIFEGUARD ASSOCIATION®

The American Lifeguard Association Lifeguard course is designed to give individuals the knowledge and skills needed to become a lifeguard. Course material is outlined in a way so that individuals may complete the lessons and skillsets at their own pace. Individuals must take the course material seriously and complete all course work including the pretest assessment, quizzes, exams and skillsets before applying for their certificate.

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American Lifeguard Association History

The American Lifeguard Association (ALA) is an educational association that is currently one of the largest sponsors of health and safety training programs in the United States. Since our establishment in 1990, we have issued over 250,000 certifications in health and safety areas. The ALA operational policies and procedures for our certification programs, and the certification and training of our instructors, both meet national industry standards. The ALA is dedicated to providing quality, instructional, participant-centered programs. ALA's overall strategy for skill development is simple: regular review, repetition in a relaxed positive environment, self-discovery, cooperative learning and joint assessment of knowledge and skills.

Our program-development process draws on the talent and experience we have of leading recognized experts in the lifeguard profession, along with outside consultants from various national health and safety organizations, together with diligent research, to ensure that the program content and guidelines used in our programs are safe and meet current national standards. We are confident that the final product is a professionally administered training program that teaches skills and knowledge consistent with nationally accepted guidelines. The purpose of the ALA training program is to teach candidates the knowledge and skills needed to prevent and respond to aquatic emergencies. Upon successful completion of our lifeguard course, each participant will receive an American Lifeguard Association Certificate indicating lifeguard/ first aid, valid for 3 years, and a CPR/AED for the professional rescuer, valid for 1 year. As with all certifications, the employer should ensure that each lifeguard candidate has all the skills necessary for the position for which he or she is being considered.

Section 2

A. COURSE PREREQUISITES

Individuals must successfully pass the pre-course swim and pre-course brick retrieval before continuing with the physical aspects of the lifeguard course. This pre-course assessment is designed to ensure that individuals possess the basic physical skills needed to perform the rescue scenarios outlined with the course material. Individuals should consult their doctor before engaging in any strenuous physical activity. At any time during the course, if an individual feels a sign of possible fatigue that may cause further damage, stop and consult a physician.

B. PRETEST SWIM REQUIREMENTS

Individuals must demonstrate that they can perform a continuous 300-yard swim using a combination of the front crawl (freestyle) and the breaststroke. No other stroke combinations may be used during the pretest swim assessment. As stated, there is no time limit in which an individual must complete the pretest swim. Individuals must maintain continuous forward motion in the water without stopping. Transitions between strokes should be smooth and uninterrupted. Holding on the sides or ladders will constitute a failure to perform the swim assessment. Individuals may use goggles but are not allowed to take extra time to adjust goggle placement once the swim has been started. If an individual interrupts the continuous forward motion for any reason, they will have to start the swim assessment from the beginning and not where they “left off.” To ensure accurate counting, it is good to have a second individual to keep track of laps completed. If multiple individuals are conducting the swim assessment at the same time, ensure that individuals keep to and pass on the right of other swimmers.

The pretest swim assessment must be conducted in this order:

• 100-yard continuous forward motion swim using the Front Crawl Stroke

• 100-yard continuous forward motion swim using the Breaststroke

• 100-yard continuous forward motion swim using either of the two above strokes