Our lifeguards at Ocean Breeze Waterpark take their jobs very seriously. Its their responsibility to keep their eyes on the water to keep the park safe.
Lifeguards start their jobs with an instructional course on lifeguarding. There is no requirement to be certified when you apply, because our guards are certified by Ellis & Associates after they are hired. Ellis & Associates may be unfamiliar to some of you, but they are extremely well known and respected within the waterpark industry. In fact, 99% of the waterparks in the United States certify their lifeguards through Ellis & Associates.
Before a guard can take the course he or she does need to pass a few tests. They must be able to swim 200 meters in 5 minutes or less and spot and retrieve a brick from a depth of 10 feet. Deep water lifeguards (guard water deeper than 4 feet) must also be able to tread water for 2 minutes while holding a 10 pound brick. After passing these tests the training begins!
Guards learn different water safety skills, including the correct way to perform water rescues and how to identify a person in need of help. They are given in depth First Aid training and spend hours learning, practicing and passing CPR certification tests. All Ocean Breeze Waterpark lifeguards are fully trained in adult, child and infant CPR.
Prior to opening day, our guards attend Lifeguard Orientation. At this orientation they are trained on how to work every position and ride in the park. Before they are permitted to work they must pass a series of written tests on their lifeguarding skills and the rules and policies for each and every ride in the park.
Lifeguard training does not end with their certification class. In fact...it is only the beginning. Our guards review and practice their CPR skills nightly. We discuss new situations and training points every day. Ellis & Associates requires 4 hours of In Service training a month, but at Ocean Breeze Waterpark we hold our Guards to a higher standard. We typically fit in 8 to 10 hours of training a month!
Throughout the summer CPR mannequins and silhouettes (flat pieces of fabric resembling a person) are hidden in pools to test the lifeguards ability to spot a person in distress. Additionally, guards are pulled from their positions and given "surprise" CPR tests to measure their abilities under pressure and in unexpected situations.
Finally, Ellis & Associates audits the lifeguarding staff periodically throughout the summer. An auditor will buy a ticket to the park and secretly watch the guard staff performing their duties throughout the day. This is Ellis' way of making sure that their standards are being upheld to the highest levels. Ocean Breeze Waterpark receives an audit score and reviews the results with the guard staff. We have already been audited once in 2009 and received an "Exceeds Standards," the highest score possible! Year after year our lifeguarding staff is given Safety Awards by Ellis & Associates for their outstanding performance.
Ocean Breeze Waterpark's number one goal is to provide a safe and fun environment for all of our guests to enjoy. Our wonderful lifeguard staff makes all of it possible!
I notice the difference between the lifeguards at Ocean Breeze & the lifeguards at Watercountry USA. I don't know if Watercountry uses Ellis for training, but I do know that their lifeguards don't seem as attentive in their kids' sections. Where Ocean Breeze's guards will stay in motion the entire time, checking all points in the pool, we were stunned to see the lifeguards at WC USA just standing there.
ReplyDeleteIn respect to the previous comment, WaterCountry USA uses Red Cross lifeguard training, not Ellis. There is a huge difference, and I'm sure Jeff Ellis is glad you saw the difference for youself. After being a lifeguard for both Red Cross and Ellis, whenever I go to a Red Cross pool I know that if something were to happen it would end catostrophically. If you have a water park, and train your guards in Red Cross, you might as well save your money for the lawsuits that come in and just not have lifeguards.
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