LG SUP 8 Recommend Quarterly In-depth Review of Lifeguard Training
Recommend that facilities with lifeguards conduct in-depth review training at least quarterly to reinforce lifeguard professionalism and effectiveness.
Rationale:
Evidence shows that venues that engage lifeguards in “booster interventions" may help maintain lifeguard performance during a season or from season to season.
Anticipated Impact:
After implementing this recommendation, you can expect to experience the following outcomes.
- Agencies that teach lifeguard management courses include the importance of in-depth review training in their courses.
- Agencies that have lifeguards are conducting quarterly in-depth review trainings
Evidence:
Schwebel et al. (2007) conducted a study in which lifeguards were provided with a “booster” or intervention halfway through the summer. It was guided by the Health Belief Model and targeted 3 issues; increasing lifeguards’ perceptions of susceptibility to drowning incidents at their pool, re-educating guards about the potential severity of fatal and nonfatal drowning incidents, and overcoming perceived barriers about conducting high-quality surveillance. The intervention consisted of a mandatory meeting for all lifeguards which lasted about an hour, and a discussion of the points listed above. Lifeguard and patron behaviors were recorded by coders pre- and post-intervention. Both lifeguard distraction/inattention and risky patron behavior decreased following the intervention. Eight of the ten behaviors recorded were positively and significantly influenced after the intervention. Additionally, these behaviors were maintained for the remainder of the summer. The results of this study indicate that a mid-summer intervention may help to maintain quality lifeguarding skills throughout the summer season.
Evidence Sources:
Schwebel, D. C., Lindsay, S., & Simpson, J. (2007). Brief report: A brief intervention to improve lifeguard surveillance at a public swimming pool. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 32(7), 862–868. https://doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsm019
High Risk Populations Addressed:
All populations can benefit from implementation of this recommendation.
Evaluation Metrics:
Indicators of long-term impact:
- In-depth review training at least quarterly has become the industry standard
Indicators of intermediate impact:
- Increased number of agencies teaching lifeguard management courses that include information on the importance of in-depth review training at least quarterly.
Indicators of initial impact:
- Those participating in lifeguard management courses have been provided with information on the importance of in-depth review training at least quarterly.
Implementation:
Consider the following to ensure successful implementation:
- Gain support from, and acceptance of, this recommendation from lifeguard training agencies.
- Reinforce concepts from lifeguard managers.
Challenges to Implementation:
When implementing this recommendation, you might encounter challenges related to the following factors.
- Timely implementation of this recommendation may be a challenge. For example, most updates to lifeguard management training programs generally occur every 3-5 years. Some agencies may not move as quickly as others to implement.
Potential Facilitators:
The following factors might facilitate the implementation of this recommendation.
- Gathering support from lifeguard training agencies and organizations involved with drowning prevention will be a key factor in the success of this recommendation.
- Further studies evaluating the impact of this approach on lifeguard and patron behavior would likely increase support
GAP Recommendation:
None