Lisa Bass
Winter is here. There will be days of cold, wind, ice and snow. Rest assured, summer will return. The thoughts of swimming again in pools are warming.
If working at the local pool during the summer is a dream job, now is the time to take a lifeguarding class. Working as a lifeguard requires skills that can be taught in an American Red Cross course.
Blacksburg Aquatic Center Assistant Supervisor Charles Horton is a Red Cross Lifeguard Instructor.
“Taking a lifeguarding class will build confidence to act in an emergency and the ability to be helpful when incidents occur in the water,” he said.
ARC lifeguarding classes are designed to teach not only basic skills in water safety, but also proper protocol when dealing with any emergencies near or in the water.
A lifeguard course blends both lecture and video along with hands-on training to teach effective techniques to deliver prompt care to victims. Training involves enforcing rules, noticing first signs of distress, making sure aquatic areas are safe and saving lives when emergencies occur.
Since lifeguarding, as a job, requires incredible focus and teamwork, cooperative training in an ARC course simulates potential real-life scenarios for working together in rescues including CPR, first aid and AED training
Horton highly recommends future lifeguards to sign up for a winter session of lifeguarding training now. Horton said, “Many lifeguard candidates do not consider a February or March lifeguard course. I suggest not waiting until April or May, those classes fill quickly and are harder to find.”
The Blacksburg Aquatic Center will be offering two winter lifeguarding training dates: Feb.18 and March 25. Each course is 28-hours long over five days and costs $215.00 for town residents. Non-Blacksburg citizens pay an additional $10.00.
The Christiansburg Aquatic Center has a lifeguard training class scheduled over two weekends starting March 15, 2019 and costing $200.00.
Virginia Tech Recreational Sports Department allows the public to join its weekend lifeguarding class slated for Feb. 1 and March 1 for $200.00
For a candidate to become a lifeguard, he or she must be at least 15 years old and, on the first day of class, be able to swim 300 yards continuously, retrieve a 10-pound object in 7-10 feet of water within a time limit and tread water for 2 minutes using only the legs.
If you’re thinking of summer and a great summer job, then citizens of Montgomery County can start using these chilly winter days of January to swim indoors in warm waters of the local town aquatic centers to prepare.
Since Radford University students and staff along with Radford City citizens have no-fee access to the Christiansburg Aquatic Center, they can jump in to practice too, before registering for any of the available lifeguarding training courses.
