RES CPR 3 Recommend In-Person Training for Lifeguards and Water Rescue EMS by an Approved National Body
Recommend lifeguards and water rescue emergency medical system professionals have in-person training, certification, and recertification by an agency that has been approved by a national body or government organization.
Spectrum level: Changing Organizational Practices
Evidence level: Medium
Rationale:
Currently there is not a single clearinghouse agency that oversees lifeguards or water rescue for other professionals. There is no consistency in training, no single training source for lifeguards. There is the United States Lifesaving Association, with regional representation around the country, as well as the American Red Cross and a few other agencies. Many lifeguard agencies do their own training and it is not the same as others. Requiring certification and re-certification would increase the validity of skill verifications for aquatic training programs by having a standardized assessment process.
Anticipated Impact:
After implementing this recommendation, you can expect to experience the following outcomes.
- In-person training, certification, and recertification leads to increased professionalism, standardized practices, and higher standards among lifeguards and water rescue emergency medical system professionals across the United States.
- In-person training, certification, and recertification provides consistency for all aquatic first response professionals.
- In-person training, certification, and recertification leads to an enhanced ability to successfully transfer personnel to other locations.
Evidence:
Currently there is not a single clearinghouse agency that oversees lifeguards or water rescue for other professionals. There is the United States Lifesaving Association, with regional representation around the country, as well as the American Red Cross and a few other agencies, but not a singular training source. Many lifeguard agencies do their own training, and therefore training varies dependent on the agency. Having a nationally accredited body with associated standards would increase professionalism and help with consistency in lifeguard and water rescue training.
Evidence Sources:
Los Angeles County EMS Agency Drowning Treatment Protocol https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dhs/1040405_1225Submersion2018-04-24.pdf
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE SWIFTWATER RESCUE MANUAL https://ratsar.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Swiftwater-Rescue-Manual.pdf
LA County Lifeguard Training https://app.targetsolutions.com/tsapp/courses/scorm/parserFrameset.htm?courseId=261638615&studentId=1092554&studentName=Clayton%20Kazan&courseDirectory=courses/processed/1269737
Observations on the drowning of non-swimmers, Frank Pia https://api.typeform.com/responses/files/8d32f796bd03754627587baaf49bc983bcd0372ae0c590e705d9e7791987c3ff/ObservationsOnDrowningOfNonswimmers_Pia.pdf Water Rescue Awareness Level Student Manual, NY State Fire Training Program http://qa.dhses.ny.gov/ofpc/manuals/documents/01040052.pdf
North Carolina EMS protocol https://api.typeform.com/responses/files/c1ceefbbebbad3f8de41751cc5f548ff89e039119aa15c46dbddce0a00d4a06a/2017NCEMSDrowningProtocol.pdf","https://api.typeform.com/responses/files/c1ceefbbebbad3f8de41751cc5f548ff89e039119aa15c46dbddce0a00d4a06a/2017NCEMSDrowningProtocol.pdf
American Red Cross Lifeguarding Manual (2012)
California State Parks Drowning Protocol https://api.typeform.com/responses/files/0d8afcbecc5f03b08e7018575f5cc31d10b09dfca2eef33020120d9e2f09686f/CSPEMTDrowningProtocol2017.pdf","https://api.typeform.com/responses/files/0d8afcbecc5f03b08e7018575f5cc31d10b09dfca2eef33020120d9e2f09686f/CSPEMTDrowningProtocol2017.pdf
StarGuard 5th Edition Textbook https://api.typeform.com/responses/files/47fe502f96b4d53983c432774d910369edfe2989d8a239f72597513f3c6133a0/StarGuard5EcompressedCh11.pdf","https://api.typeform.com/responses/files/47fe502f96b4d53983c432774d910369edfe2989d8a239f72597513f3c6133a0/StarGuard5EcompressedCh11.pdf
YMCA Lifeguard Manual (edition not specified)
Ellis & Associates Lifeguard Manual (edition not specified)
Army Corps of Engineers - National water safety program https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Recreation/National-Water-SafetyProgram/NewsReleases/
EMS Essentials- A Resident’s Guide to Prehospital Care: Chapter 14: Water Rescue https://www.emra.org/globalassets/emra/publications/books/emra-ems-essentials.pdf#page=111 Aquatic Rescue and Safety https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=yBFhaQQ23ckC&oi=fnd&pg=PP5&dq=related:mMKgejMdqBIJ:scholar.google.com/&ots=C5trHXUh-O&sig=Lr3X8iHGfnBE2WjXC4rWh-XTous#v=onepage&q&f=false
San Francisco Bay Water Rescue Plan and Procedures for Aircraft Emergencies and Other Large Scale Maritime Incidents Adjacent to Alameda County Fire Department Jurisdictions https://api.typeform.com/responses/files/7571c73858a4c843ee3e02d3d57592f59d040a534e3295e5ee519f3b80dff695/32004SanFranciscoBayWaterRescue_08.15.20.pdf
OAG 23.007 Attachment C: Water Rescue Program Training and Education, Alameda County https://api.typeform.com/responses/files/a26dbf4eea70145fa82710192d83c300e0ec09e3e5ea8a20bbdd4681427cc024/23007AttachmentCtoSpecialOperationsTrainingandEducation10.01.20.pdf
Cal Fire Water Rescue Awareness Presentation https://www.btutraining.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Surf-Rescue-Awareness.pdf
San Francisco Fire Department- Water Rescue Operations http://ufsw.org/pdfs/waterrescueoperations.pdf
Huntington Beach Fire Department Policy on Ocean/Open Water Safety https://api.typeform.com/responses/files/65de471c5e847d38733d9a7c770e5d4bc2f6032378291f0d5d3616383aed6a30/HBFDPolicyF14OceanOpenWaterSafety.pdf
Standards for Open Water Lifeguards - Certification for Agencies https://www.usla.org/page/certification#The%20United%20States%20Lifesaving%20Association
U.S. Lifeguarding Standards Coalition https://api.typeform.com/responses/files/3d6f10657e8074366410548eb4b829a89f4d04d05972dbe185df02e77e7d69f9/USLSCFINALAPPROVAL13111.pdf","https://api.typeform.com/responses/files/3d6f10657e8074366410548eb4b829a89f4d04d05972dbe185df02e77e7d69f9/USLSCFINALAPPROVAL13111.pdf
Drowning and aquatic injuries dictionary https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666520420300734?via%3Dihub
Water Rescue Awareness, CA Dept of Forestry and Fire Protection https://api.typeform.com/responses/files/19623a36274521d521d6ef3a66eadca76d731098ff8003c123bc663b5cee7cdd/WaterRescueAwarenessOverviewCaliDeptF.pdf","https://api.typeform.com/responses/files/19623a36274521d521d6ef3a66eadca76d731098ff8003c123bc663b5cee7cdd/WaterRescueAwarenessOverviewCaliDeptF.pdf
AQUATIC PROCEDURE MANUALAQUATIC SAFETY & SUPERVISION PLAN MODULE https://www.lifesaving.org/public/download/documents/54358
SHAPE of the Nation Report 2016 https://www.shapeamerica.org/uploads/pdfs/son/Shape-of-the-Nation-2016_web.pdf
California Health Education Content Standards https://api.typeform.com/responses/files/a91aee7c83df427f6a0f45bb37f404f030799fb604e67e1a950b460c2d62b0ce/CaliforniaHealthEducationContentStandards.pdf","https://api.typeform.com/responses/files/a91aee7c83df427f6a0f45bb37f404f030799fb604e67e1a950b460c2d62b0ce/CaliforniaHealthEducationContentStandards.pdf
Rescue methods https://www.rospa.com/leisure-safety/water/advice/children-young-people/rescue-methods
Army Corps of Engineers - National water safety program https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Recreation/National-Water-SafetyProgram/NewsReleases/
Army Corps of Engineers - Water Resource guide https://www.usace.army.mil/Portals/2/docs/WaterSafetyResourceGuide.pdf
High Risk Populations Addressed:
All populations can benefit from implementation of this recommendation.
Evaluation Metrics:
Indicators of long-term impact:
- Consistency in water rescue training for the various types of water rescue (ice, ocean, swift water, etc.)
- Effective and efficient transfer of personnel to other locations
- Increase in successful water rescues performed by first responders
- Reduction in drowning rates
Indicators of intermediate impact:
- Policy change requiring in-person training, certification, and recertification
- Favorable attitudes towards in-person training, certification, and recertification
- Knowledge sharing among agencies
Indicators of initial impact:
- Increase in number of trainings
- Increase in the number of new programs
- Agency "buy-in"
Implementation:
Consider the following to ensure successful implementation:
- Encourage vital cross-agency collaboration in trainings and certification.
- Engage key stakeholders in support of trainings and certification.
- Find ways to support the development of valid, effective, and evidence-based education curriculum and skills training.
Challenges to Implementation:
When implementing this recommendation, you might encounter challenges related to the following factors.
- Disagreements among agencies may occur.
- Liability may vary across states.
- Existing infrastructure may be limited.
- Political will may be lacking.
Potential Facilitators:
The following factors might facilitate the implementation of this recommendation.
- NFPA and POST already have established standardized training for police and fire as a potential model for a lifesaving organization to consider when developing water emergency response curriculum and training.
GAP Recommendation:
There may be a need to explore the best practices for training (Red Cross, USLA, Coast Guard) to then be shared across various states/ counties/ jurisdictions.