I lap swim daily at a public pool, actually a city pool. I alternate between 2 pools depending on my schedule. I see a huge difference in pool management style and lifeguarding situations. One pool is monitored very closely, and the other, often the lifeguard is not even on the deck, and instead in her office behind a window. Are there any laws or standards on how a lifeguard should monitor swimmers, the pool etc? Also, she uses the cell phone and often is eating her lunch and visiting with either swimmers or her family or friends while she is lifeguarding.
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Former Member
There's a particular lifeguard at one my pools who texts, leaves the natatorium for 15 minute periods, has 30 minute conversations on his cell phone, conversations with random people with his back to the pool, etc, etc etc. He does this when he is the only lifeguard on duty and sometimes when I am the only person in the pool.
He was an absolutely awful lifeguard. I was going to make a complaint, but then I stopped seeing him around, so maybe somebody else did. I didn't want to feel responsible for him losing his job. He had to be in his early 30's though. At that age he should be mature enough to know his job responsibilities.
I have all the confidence in my swimming, but you never know what could happen. Seizures and blackouts can happen to anyone and are obviously very dangerous in a pool. Parents can get distracted from their children and it doesn't take long for a child to drown. There was a 2 year old girl in my town that drowned because her parents were preoccupied for just 2 minutes.
This is the same pool that puts on movie nights for kids. They get a bunch on inflatable floats, close the pool for lap swimming, turn of the lights, and project a movie on the wall. This couldn't be more dangerous. I've seen them test everything while I swim laps. The lifeguard watches the movie, not me, and probably couldn't see anyone at the bottom of the pool due to the lack of lighting.
Another thought is that the pool only has one lifeguard on duty at a time. I think my lifeguard training told me you're supposed to identify the problem in less than 10 sec, get to the subject in under 20, and get them out of the pool in 2. I'm not sure it'd be too easy to backboard a person out of the pool with only one person. The lifeguard doesn't have a walkie talkie or a panic button to summon help that I can see.
All these thoughts make me think they're not too great in their abilities. I know A LOT of lifeguards that do not know how to properly preform CPR and I am sure this probably holds true here. I'd love to audit them.
There's a particular lifeguard at one my pools who texts, leaves the natatorium for 15 minute periods, has 30 minute conversations on his cell phone, conversations with random people with his back to the pool, etc, etc etc. He does this when he is the only lifeguard on duty and sometimes when I am the only person in the pool.
He was an absolutely awful lifeguard. I was going to make a complaint, but then I stopped seeing him around, so maybe somebody else did. I didn't want to feel responsible for him losing his job. He had to be in his early 30's though. At that age he should be mature enough to know his job responsibilities.
I have all the confidence in my swimming, but you never know what could happen. Seizures and blackouts can happen to anyone and are obviously very dangerous in a pool. Parents can get distracted from their children and it doesn't take long for a child to drown. There was a 2 year old girl in my town that drowned because her parents were preoccupied for just 2 minutes.
This is the same pool that puts on movie nights for kids. They get a bunch on inflatable floats, close the pool for lap swimming, turn of the lights, and project a movie on the wall. This couldn't be more dangerous. I've seen them test everything while I swim laps. The lifeguard watches the movie, not me, and probably couldn't see anyone at the bottom of the pool due to the lack of lighting.
Another thought is that the pool only has one lifeguard on duty at a time. I think my lifeguard training told me you're supposed to identify the problem in less than 10 sec, get to the subject in under 20, and get them out of the pool in 2. I'm not sure it'd be too easy to backboard a person out of the pool with only one person. The lifeguard doesn't have a walkie talkie or a panic button to summon help that I can see.
All these thoughts make me think they're not too great in their abilities. I know A LOT of lifeguards that do not know how to properly preform CPR and I am sure this probably holds true here. I'd love to audit them.
