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Home » Consumer Information » Occupational Safety » 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