Lifeguards

Land Rescue Skills

Once a victim is safely on land, a lifeguard must be able to perform first aid, CPR and care of head, neck and back injuries.

First aid skills include:

• Assessing a victim (SAMPLE acronym):
• S - Signs and symptoms. Lifeguards must detect where victims feel pain, discomfort, numbness or loss of sensation.
• A - Allergies. Lifeguards must be informed of a victim's allergies.
• M - Medications. Lifeguards must know what medical conditions a victim has and what medications the victim has consumed in the last 24 hours.
• P - Pertinent past medical history. Lifeguards must figure out if a victim has experienced any recent falls, blows to the head or medical, surgical or traumatic incidents.
• L - Last oral intake. Lifeguards must figure out when the victim last ate and drank.
• E - Events leading up to the incident. Lifeguards must be informed of what the victim was doing when the incident occurred.
• Controlling external bleeding
• Applying a sling, binder, anatomic splint and soft splint

CPR skills include:

• Initial assessment of victim's status
• Rescue breathing for adult, child or infant
• Use of Bag-Valve-Mask for resuscitation
• Assistance of a conscious or unconscious choking victim
• Different CPR techniques for adults and children
• Two-rescuer CPR
• Use of automated external defibrillator (AED)

Care of head, neck and back injuries includes:

• Manual In-Line Stabilization of head, neck or back on-land or in water
• Body positing when sitting or lying down
• Use of backboard for standing
• Face-down or face-up head splint technique in shallow or deep water
• Face-down or face-up head and chin support in shallow or deep water
• Use of backboard in shallow or deep water