Going for a dip?
Better obey the lifeguards!

Kids Stuff
By William Feldman

Welcome to Kids Stuff. Today’s column includes information on what it takes to be a top-notch lifeguard at a water park, along with a cryptogram.

LIFEGUARDS

Since I have a column for kids, I was invited to write about the 2004 National Lifeguard Championship Competition, which took place at Hurricane Harbor, located at Great Adventure in Jackson, N.J. I figured with summer here, pools open and kids having a good time playing in pools, parents would definitely approve of this safety column.
The 2004 Jeff Ellis & Associates National Lifeguard Championships took place Aug. 5 and 6, with one champion. The opening ceremony was on Aug. 5. The award ceremony was on Aug. 7.
Each team consisted of four people: two males and two females with one alternate. Ellis and Associates is almost compared to a Red Cross certification, specifically for lifeguards.
They have regional competitions, and the top three from each region participate in the national.
"This competition is unique in that lifeguards are tested on practical scenarios rather than physical ability. We do not just run and swim, we focus on lifesaving expertise," said Chris Stuart, a director of Hurricane Harbor.
This year, 23 teams participated in the competition. The teams came from all over the country. There are seven regions. There are three from each region and two international ones, which are from Dubai and the Bahamas. Lifeguard instructors are not eligible to compete, but they may serve as judges.
I was given a personal tour from Taryn Eisenman. I had plenty of questions for her. Here is an overview of water park lifeguards:
The requirements to become a lifeguard include: must be age 16 or older and able to swim, but there is no weight or upper-age requirement. Training to be a lifeguard includes a three-day program. Also, you have to take an eight-hour online course that goes through every aspect of the job before you can even take the class. You need to pass the class and the online course before you can take the lifeguard test.
What is the difference between a water park lifeguard and a beach lifeguard? A water park lifeguard, at the most, covers 8 feet of water. A beach lifeguard just watches different water facilities.
In general, lifeguards prepare for the worst possible disasters, such as spinal injuries, people who lose consciousness, or anyone who has any sort of illness, seizure or just plain gets a minor cut while in the water.
Before going on duty, all lifeguards are certified in first aid and are prepared to handle any situation.
Most of the supervisors are instructors. Some of the equipment used by the lifeguards includes oxygen; BVM used to give oxygen, which has a bag-valve mask that you squeeze to give the oxygen; backboards; gauze; a V-Vac — which is like suction cups, which, when squeezed pulls the vomit out when a victim is throwing up; and an automatic external defibrillator, which is used when a victim has no pulse. It is a little box that administers a shock.
If for some reason they should not have the required equipment, an ambulance or first-aid staff people will be on the scene within three minutes.
The evening of the competition included opening ceremonies. The competition included a few water disaster scenarios throughout the water park. Those fun looking water amusements were the location where the lifeguards pretended to be victims.
The scenario I observed included a spinal injury, a near drowning and a baby (doll) submerged under water. Each team had to find the victim, treat these injuries and secure the pool. Judges supervised and graded them on the skills they had been taught in their classes.
The winners from this intense competition were from Mesa, Ariz. They received a glass trophy and a medal, along with pride from their accomplishments.
Taryn stressed the importance of safety.
"It is so important to listen to lifeguards," she said. "We are here for your safety, not to tell you you can’t do things because we do not want you to have fun. Rules are for a reason."
As an example, she explained that the height requirement is enforced because if a child falls off a tube, he should be able to stand up with his mouth above water level.
As for the rule against running, "the cement gets slippery and you can fall and get extremely hurt. I have seen this," she said. "Also, when we say you cannot wear jeans or shoes, there is a reason. Jeans and buttons will scratch the slide in most cases, leaving large scrapes or gashes on people riding down."
Also, she said, if you wear shoes and try and stop yourself, you can break an ankle.
"There is so much more to being a lifeguard than a good tan," she added. "It’s seven hours and fifty-nine minutes of boredom and yelling at the same people, but if you get that one call on your shift when someone or something goes wrong, you need to be able to start treatment in those split seconds.
"Just a few seconds could have a major impact on someone’s life," she added. "The next time you’re on the beach or at a water park, look around and thank those people who are watching over you — just like your doctor, teacher and your parents."
So the next time a lifeguard blows a whistle at you in your favorite water park, think twice before ignoring him.

CRYPTOGRAM

XZJVF AZB CV KMB, CMJ EZBHVFGML
Hints: Z is A; K is F; X is W; M is O

William Feldman is enjoying the last part of his summer break from the Joseph J. Greenberg Elementary School in Bustleton. Send all e-mails to wmkidscolumn@aol.com