Anonymous wrote:In my opinion, busier pools are better because the guards are more likely to have to deal with emergencies and it becomes second-nature. I know when I worked for a pool management company, all the scary news stories they shared with us were from small, 1 or 2 guard pools where staff was so laid back they completely missed kids dying at the bottom of the pool. Like a PP mentioned, my first rescue was a little frightening but you get used to them and they don't happen constantly. I maybe jumped in once or twice a summer.

This is consistent with my experience years ago and my DDs. My DD actually had a rescue her very first shift.

Another perspective: I did the ARC training my first year in college as one of my required gym classes. I never worked as a lifeguard, and I would never pretend that that long-ago training would make me qualify to guard today, but it did give me great awareness of water safety and signs of trouble. As someone who's spent a lot of time in pools as well as in open water as a swimmer, boater, and diver, I'm glad I had that training because I think it's made me a more aware participant in water-based recreation. For your dd, if she goes through the training and passes, even if she decides not to work as a lifeguard, she will have far better safety awareness and skills that will be in her personal best interest.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course. THIS IS WHAT THE TRAINING IS FOR.

+1

OP, why even ask? If 10 people reply and say their kid worked for years and never had a rescue it doesn't matter. If there is one incident, your kid would need to step up.

This. I worked at municipal pools when I was in HS and college. A very different environment from the DMV well to do pool associations ans clubs where kids are mostly there with parents. So we were basically babysitting and working everyday. Literally every single person I worked with had at least one time they needed to go in to pull a kid up at some point. We were mostly the kids who either swam a lot as kids or were competing swimmers. You train, you are strong enough, you can do it basically.

Op, where are you ...ie VA? MD?

The training is different for shallow water. The Watermine in VA will train kids because they need so many, but it is easier than the certification for a 12' pool. Since they only have depths of 3-4 feet, they aren't required to have the same swimming skills as a derp pool. But, they do hsve training updates all the time. They do have people fainting or getting hurt, but it might be less pressure. And they are NOT just spinning their whistles! You will see them bobbing their heads the whole time while they walk back and forth....they have been trained to scan their area in a certain visual sequence. They are not chatting at all...they are working and scanning the whole time.

It is a big team effort. My kid is not a guard, but works there and really likes having a taste of responsibility and being part of a team.

Our daughter has been a lifeguard for two years, our son will take the training this year and join her at the local pool. She has never had to save anyone. I was lifeguard in high school and maybe one or two years of college. I only had to save someone once, same as someone else said, I scooped them out of the pool and they ran off to find their parents.

Nobody should rely on lifeguards -- they are usually young kids and that training is tedious and boring to them. Yes they know CPR. Both my kids have told me about other kids in their training classes that can barely swim.

Parents need to watch their young children.