Ask the Expert
Ask the Lifeguard BY TODD RAPP
PHOTOS COURTESY OF TODD RAPP.
Todd Rapp’s career as a lifeguard started at a water park in 1994. Today, 26 years later, he is a firefighter and part-time beach lifeguard in Vero Beach, Florida.
What do you love about being a lifeguard?
The lifestyle of simplicity and being outside on the Ocean. When I was young, I sold my car, bought a bike and made sure I lived close to my workplace. Everything I needed was in a 2-mile radius of where I lived. All I needed to work was a pair of shorts and a whistle. No suits, no fancy car and no need to buy stuff to impress others. I could be myself, stay in shape and keep patrons safe.
What are the different challenges of being a lifeguard at a pool, water park or the beach?
Pools are mostly a static environment, as the pool dimensions don’t change, the water temperature stays consistent and water isn’t moving about, except to the filters and back. The only thing that changes at pools is the patrons and the activities they are doing. Water parks pose a challenge in that there are large numbers of people, and the water is always moving, for the most part. The only constant is, like a pool, the dimensions remain the same, and the water usually moves the same day in and day out. The ocean is a very dynamic environment. The tides move in and out, changing the depth and dimensions of the beach. The surf can vary greatly from being very small to very large, as well as coming in from different directions on different days. This can create hazards for swimmers, such as rip currents, shore break and strong currents
moving along the coast. The winds can change direction and cause issues. The sand moves around from day to day, changing the dimensions of the beach. Marine life, such as jellyfish, Man O’ War, sea wasps and sea lice can cause health issues to beach patrons. In addition, beaches are an open area with no entry gates or fences, and children can get separated from their parents quite easily.
What specific training do you need to be a lifeguard?
There are many different certifications by different entities/groups/organizations available for lifeguards. The American Red Cross has many programs for pools and limited water parks, but won’t approach open water. United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) is the governing body for open water lifeguards. The standard qualification includes being able to swim 500 meters in less than 10 minutes. All lifeguards are trained in CPR, first aid and use of an Automated External Defibrillator. Each agency has its own standards, which may be more stringent. They also have some type of training academy to complete prior to being allowed out on the beach.
Have you ever had to save someone’s life? If so, can you share details?
control, unpreventable. I have made countless rescues over the years in all types of conditions, from grabbing small children just off the beach who get pulled out, rescuing multiple victims caught in a rip current in very large surf, to driving rescue boats through inlets to rescue people from their capsized vessel. The grimmest moments have been those that occurred away from a lifeguard, outside a guarded area.
What is the most common dangerous thing you see people do around pools/oceans that they shouldn’t that could save their life?
People don’t know what they don’t know. I believe a person’s overconfidence or ignorance of a given situation is the most dangerous thing. Peer pressure can play a part, whether it is coaxing a friend to jump off a pier or the high dive they have never been on, or to venture out into rough seas with no help around. Most people that I have helped had no idea that danger existed or was pushed too far by their peers. Drugs and alcohol can also play a role in these things. Always swim near a lifeguard, and know your limits.
When staring out into the water, what are lifeguards looking for?
The ocean is a dynamic environment and can look very different over the course of just a few hours. Lifeguards can spot newly formed rip currents, approaching fog banks, incoming thunderstorms and marine life that could cause harm. We are always watching people, making sure they aren’t about to unknowingly put themselves in danger and doing our best to prevent incidents from happening. A dry lifeguard is a good lifeguard. An experienced lifeguard can spot a person in distress by their body position in the water, the effectiveness of the work they are trying to put in to stay about the water and the look on their face.
The goal of a lifeguard is to prevent a rescue from happening in the first place. This comes from experience in seeing potential incidents before they happen and educating patrons along the way before they get into a bad situation. Issues still occur and patrons still find themselves needing help. Sometimes a swimmer may have a non-drowning issue such as a medical problem or marine sting. Sometimes things are out of a lifeguard’s WELLNESS360 | JULY/AUGUST 2020
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