Leadership & Lifeguarding

Upcoming Leadership & Lifeguarding Courses

 

Watch for upcoming courses! If you are interested in the courses below, have your name put on an interest list  – we will notify you when we run the course.  Please ensure you meet the pre-requisites for each course.

Please contact the Aquatic Supervisors for information on any Leadership Courses and/or upcoming changes.

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Interested in working at the pool?

STEPS TO BECOMING A LIFEGUARD AND/OR SWIM INSTRUCTOR PREREQUISITE 1. BRONZE MEDALLION Required Items: - 13 Years old OR Bronze Star 2. BRONZE CROSS Required Items: - Bronze Medallion REQUIRED 3. STANDARD FIRST AID CPR-C & AED Required Items: - 13 Years old 4. SWIM INSTRUCTOR Required Items: - 15 Years old - Bronze Cross (need not be current) AND/OR 5. NATIONAL LIFEGUARD Required Items: - 15 Years old - Bronze Cross (need not be current) - Standard First Aid/CPR-C & AED APPLY 6. APPLY TO BE A LIFEGUARD AND/OR INSTRUCTOR Required Items: - 16 years old - National Lifeguard OR Swim Instructor - Standard First Aid/CPR-C & AED OR APPLY TO BE A SLIDE ATTENDANT Required Items: - 15 years old - Bronze Cross - Standard First Aid/CPR-C & AED

Leadership & Lifeguarding Courses

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Bronze Star

The first level in the Bronze Family. Great course to introduce rescue skills and it provides excellent preparation for the Bronze Medallion course.

Recommended for kids who have completed Swim Kids 10 or those 10-13 years of age but open to all ages.  If you have some training in Rookie, Ranger or Star – you are ready for this course too!

Bronze-Medallion

Bronze Medallion

Bronze Medallion teaches an understanding of the lifesaving principles embodied in the four components of water rescue education: judgment, knowledge, skill and fitness.  Rescuers learn advanced lifesaving techniques for challenging rescues of increased risk, involving conscious and unconscious victims in varying water depths. Participants develop stroke efficiency and endurance in timed swims (500 meters). Includes CPR-A.

Prerequisites:  Must be 13 years old OR have completed Bronze Star.

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Bronze Cross

This course is designed for lifesavers who want the challenge of more advanced training including an introduction to safety supervision in aquatic facilities. Candidates develop proficiency in performing patient assessments, managing aquatic spinal injuries, and preventing the loss of life in a variety of aquatic emergencies while developing stroke endurance and fitness training skills. Bronze Cross includes the CPR-C certification and is one of the pre-requisite awards for all advanced Lifeguarding and Leadership training programs. Bronze Cross is also worth 2 Grade 11 High School Credits.

Prerequisites:  Bronze Medallion

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Standard First Aid & CPR C 

Standard First Aid is equivalent to WorkSafeBC/CSA Z1210-17 Intermediate and can be used by First Aid Attendants in the workplace. Standard First Aid with CPR-C & AED is a prerequisite to the Lifesaving Society’s National Lifeguard Awards. This course includes comprehensive training covering all aspects of first aid, CPR and AED use. Whether you need training for employment or simply want to be prepared to respond to life-threatening emergencies, this course will give you the skills and knowledge to act with confidence.

Prerequisites: recommended 13 years of age or older

Standard First Aid & CPR C Recert

Standard First Aid with CPR-C is WorkSafeBC Intermediate equivalent and can be used by First Aid Attendants in the workplace. Recertification of Standard First Aid with CPR-C/AED is achieved by attending an 8-hour Standard First Aid with CPR-C recertification course.

Prerequisites: Standard First Aid (need not be current); previous certification must be from one of the following agencies:

  • Any Canadian Lifesaving Society Branch
  • Canadian Red Cross
  • St. Johns Ambulance
  • Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada
  • Canadian Ski Patrol

 

 

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National Lifeguard – Pool

The National Lifeguard Pool certification is designed to develop the fundamental values, judgment, knowledge, skills and fitness required by lifeguards. The National Lifeguard course emphasizes the lifeguarding skills, principles and practices, and the decision-making processes which will assist the lifeguard to provide effective safety supervision in swimming pool environments.

Please check the prerequisites and ensure you have everything necessary before registering

Course involves both wet and dry sessions.

Prerequisites: Standard First Aid with CPR-C (16 hour course), Bronze Cross certification, & 15 years of age by last day of course

National Lifeguard Precert/Recert

Prerequisites: Participants MUST have had a National Lifeguard certification within the last 2 years and show that they once held certification in Standard First Aid, as well as government issued ID.

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Swim Instructor

The Lifesaving Society Swim for Life Instructor certification prepares candidates to teach and evaluate basic swim strokes and related skills. Swim Instructors teach and evaluate candidates in the Society’s Swim for Life® and Canadian Swim Patrol levels. Candidates are trained in, and must demonstrate skills, knowledge, and attitudes at a Competency Level 1 to achieve certification.

Prerequisites: 15 years of age (by last day), Bronze Cross (need not be current)

Candidates are responsible for having the correct prerequisites. If you have any questions in regards to this please reach out to us.

Lifesaving Instructor

Lifesaving Instructor/Examiners are trained using a competency-based model that walks them through teaching and evaluation philosophy and the techniques/approaches required to teach water rescue, first aid and related aquatic skills. Instructors also learn about long-term and short-term planning, class management, safety supervision, and the principles of evaluation.

Lifesaving Instructor/Examiners are trained to teach Junior Lifeguard Club, Swim to Survive, Lifesaving for Lay Rescuers, Lifesaving for Backyard Pool Owners, Safeguard, Canadian Swim Patrol (Rookie, Ranger, Star), Bronze Star, Bronze Medallion, and Bronze Cross Candidates are trained in and must demonstrate skills, knowledge, and attitudes at Competency Level 1 (Lifesaving Instructor) to include all aspects of learning as well as various approaches required to teach water rescue, First Aid, and related aquatic skills in the Canadian Lifesaving Program.

Lifesaving Instructor/Examiners can evaluate and certify candidates in all items in Canadian Swim Patrol, Lifesaving Fitness, Bronze Star, Bronze Medallion, and Bronze Cross. The LSI course in the BC & Yukon Branch includes the Advanced Instructor certification and the Examination Standards clinic.

Prerequisites: 15 years of age (by last day), Bronze Cross (need not be current)

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Supervisor Evaluation & Enhancement (SEE) Auditor

The SEE Auditor course is the first step on the path to becoming an expert in Aquatic Safety Management. This course is designed to give participants the tools to evaluate the effectiveness of lifeguard and instructor supervision. SEE evaluations assist in developing consistent aquatic safety supervision skills by providing real-time observation and evaluation.

Prerequisites: National Lifeguard (any option; need not be current) & a minimum of 100 hours of work experience as a lifeguard

Aquatic Supervisor

The Aquatic Supervisor course prepares experienced lifeguards to enter a role as deck-level Aquatic Supervisors. Designed across four (4) curriculum series, the course focuses on the role of the supervisor, supervising the aquatic facility, supervising the public, and supervising aquatics staff. The Aquatic Supervisor course is the standard of training in BC & Yukon for deck-level supervisory staff.

Prerequisites: National Lifeguard (any option; current), SEE Auditor, recommended 18 years old, & at least 1000 hours of work experience as a lifeguard

High School Credits

Did you know that you can get high school credits for taking leadership courses?

British Columbia and Yukon high school students may use their Bronze Cross, Lifesaving Instructor and National Lifeguard certifications for credits toward high school graduation.

Credits

  1. Bronze Cross is worth 2 credits for Grade 11.
  2. Lifesaving Instructor + Bronze Cross is worth 3 credits for Grade 11.
  3. National Lifeguard is worth 2 credits for Grade 12.

Details

  1. Students may only use these credits for the assigned grades [i.e.: students cannot combine both certifications towards one grade].
  2. The awards do not need to be current.
  3. If the student has already used Bronze Cross for 2 credits, then completes Lifesaving Instructor at a later date, they can replace the 2 credits from Bronze Cross with 3 credits for Lifesaving Instructor and Bronze Cross combined.

Process

  1. Students are asked to inform their school counsellor in charge of curriculum that they wish to use these certifications as part of the “External Credit Program.”
  2. Students will be asked to provide proof of their certification card(s).