# EMT-B to Lifeguarding Certificate?



## emdub (May 30, 2010)

As an EMT-B, do I need to obtain Lifeguarding Certification although I already have water rescue training if I want to work in a camp setting as a waterfront director?  I can't find the answer anywhere, and I don't want to spend the money if I don't need to.


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## Lifeguards For Life (May 30, 2010)

emdub said:


> As an EMT-B, do I need to obtain Lifeguarding Certification although I already have water rescue training if I want to work in a camp setting as a waterfront director?  I can't find the answer anywhere, and I don't want to spend the money if I don't need to.



What water rescue training do you have? Are you advising you already have a certification?


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## mcdonl (May 30, 2010)

I am an Ice Water Rescue tech, but I don't suppose a lifeguard is needed around the ice


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## medichopeful (May 30, 2010)

emdub said:


> As an EMT-B, do I need to obtain Lifeguarding Certification although I already have water rescue training if I want to work in a camp setting as a waterfront director?  I can't find the answer anywhere, and I don't want to spend the money if I don't need to.



Have you tried to call the camp you want to work at and asked?


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## firecoins (May 30, 2010)

you need to take the lifeguard cert.


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## LucidResq (May 30, 2010)

I'm gonna go ahead and guess that yes, you will. Generally the people that hire for these positions aren't super-knowledgeable about EMS or rescue outside of lifeguarding, and I bet they're looking for the usual certs not a combination of relevant education/experience that they probably don't know much about. 

I can tell you from working EMS at a water park and taking patients from lifeguards that they do things a little bit differently than we do anyways. 

Not that it would likely be difficult to learn, but I've watched the lifeguards and noticed they appear to scan the water with particular patterns and behaviors that they've obviously been trained to do. I doubt this kind of stuff was part of your training. 

And if something were to go wrong, even if you did everything right, I can imagine the legal headache of the camp trying to explain why they didn't hire a certified lifeguard.


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## Akulahawk (May 30, 2010)

If you're going to be working as a Lifeguard, take the Lifeguard Training. Their training is specific to water rescue in pools, water parks, and lakes. Also, where EMT and Paramedic personnel watch a video about how to do a water rescue, Lifeguards actually DO practice the skills and usually have ongoing in-service training for their facility. Much of their time is spent looking for signs of trouble and heading it off vs having to actively search for a victim. I was a lifeguard, and yes, I can still put someone on a backboard in deep water... My legs, however, would kill me afterwards. 

I was initially trained back in the early '90's, before the cross-chest carry was dropped from the training syllabus. That class was NOT a weekend cert class...


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## mycrofft (May 31, 2010)

*The cross chest carry can have certain attractions though...*

:blush:

I liked the part where we rassled a shaved-headed, oiled up, Speedo-wearing LA County surf lifeguard (one of Dwight Crum's heroes) and tried to keep from being overpowered.B)

Take the class, you need it, it's hard but it can also be fun. Be in shape!


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## Akulahawk (May 31, 2010)

I'm actually a fan of the cross chest carry... however as good as it is, it got some serious lawsuit action... and thus, it got dropped.


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## Legacy_Camaro (Jun 8, 2010)

*Bsa*

If its a Boy Scouts of America camp, you will need to get BSA lifeguard training. They usually do classes at camps such as that. I got mine at a BSA aquatics base summer camp several years ago.


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## LabDog07 (Apr 11, 2019)

Legacy_Camaro said:


> *Bsa*
> 
> If its a Boy Scouts of America camp, you will need to get BSA lifeguard training. They usually do classes at camps such as that. I got mine at a BSA aquatics base summer camp several years ago.




Just because you have a BSA Lifeguard cert does not mean you are Redcross certified.


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## CCCSD (Apr 12, 2019)

Almost a nine year old post. I think it’s pretty safe to say it’s dead.


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