Lifeguards

Lifeguard and Safety

At A-List Aquatics, we believe quality customer service is a product of accountability. Our lifeguards and staff members are held accountable by random unannounced safety audits conducted by A-List Aquatics and Ellis & Associates staff members. All staff members are subject to random drug and alcohol testing.

The A-List Difference

Most pool management companies hire lifeguards who are already certified. They conduct no skills screening or site-specific training to review how to rescue a guest in distress. Drownings that occur near a lifeguard are often because of lack of training and skills. At A-List Aquatics we use Ellis & Associates (E&A), a comprehensive risk management company to license our lifeguards. Our staff must pass an E&A lifeguard training course every spring, conducted by our on-site E&A instructors. E&A’s International Lifeguard Training Program (ILTP) features the most current rescue techniques in the aquatic industry. E&A lifeguards are licensed, as opposed to certified, and are randomly audited during the season to ensure they are performing their duties. Any lifeguard that does not meet the minimum criteria at any given time during an audit is subject to remedial training before being put back out on the lifeguard stand.

Certification Cost

$240 for New Lifeguard and $125 for Renewal Lifeguard. Certifications include:

Ellis lifeguard training
CPR/AED for Lifeguards
Basic First Aid
Emergency Oxygen
Bloodborne Pathogens

All certifications are valid for one (1) year from the completion date of the class

*All employees of A-List Aquatics receive free training. Contact us for more information!

Jeff Ellis & Associates Certification

E&A lifeguards are required to attend 4-6 hours a month of ongoing, in-service training. During in-service, which is hosted at each pool before or after hours, the staff review procedures and practice training drills. A-List Aquatics lifeguards are also easy to find because they’re always in full uniform and at the guard stand at all times. We also provide an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and an emergency oxygen system to all of our pools with lifeguards, which is unheard of from our competitors. If a situation occurs at an A-List Aquatics, our lifeguards have the tools they need to save a life.

Shallow Water Certification Requirements:

Training valid at facilities where water depth is 5 feet or less (excludes open water and wave environments).
Students must be at least 15 years old
Must be able to swim distance using front crawl (freestyle) or breaststroke without resting for 50 yards
Must swim underwater for 10 ft at a max depth of 5ft.
Must be able to retrieve a 10-pound brick and bring it to the surface
Must be able to tread water for 1 minute without the use of hand

Pool Lifeguard Certification Requirements:

Training valid at facilities where water depth is up to 16 feet or less (excludes open water and wave environments).
Students must be at least 15 years old
Must be able to swim distance using front crawl (freestyle) or breaststroke without resting for 100 yards
Must be able to retrieve a 10-pound brick and bring it to the surface
Must be able to tread water for 1 minute without the use of hand

Note:

All lifeguard courses include a mandatory online course that must be completed before the first day of class. Upon completion of registration, access to the online course will be given, along with a digital copy of the E&A textbook.
*Pool Lifeguard Course – This course certifies lifeguard candidates to work at a pool facility with a maximum water depth of 16 feet.
**Shallow Water Lifeguard Course – This course certifies lifeguard candidates to work at a pool facility with a maximum water depth of 5 feet.

Safety Audits

A key component of maintaining a professional and reliable staff is performing our unannounced safety audits. Several times a month, a member of our executive management team will visit random client facilities unannounced and observe the lifeguards on duty. The auditor will check that lifeguards are actively scanning their area of responsibility as well as maintaining a rescue ready posture at all times. During these audits, a lifelike mannequin may be placed into the water. A lifeguard will have a maximum of 30 seconds to identify and respond. Auditors will recommend remedial training when skills are deemed to be lacking in specific areas. At A-List Aquatics, we believe our focus on regimentation and training set us apart from the competition. Additionally, all of our lifeguards are immediately identifiable by their uniform. When swimming at a facility managed by A-List Aquatics, you’ll never have to look far to find a lifeguard on duty.