A lifeguard watches over swimmers, surfers, kids playing, and others involved in water activities while on or near the water. He or she is responsible for the safety of this swimmers and the rescue of these swimmers should a problem happen. Problems really do often occur around water, because people who are not established or veteran swimmers often have fits of panic and need serious help. The diligent teen lifeguard must be ready, willing, and able to step in, provide mental comfort and physically pull the person out of the water and onto the deck. CPR may or may not be required at that point, so you must obviously be ready to preform it should the need arise. Lifeguards have passed an extensive lifeguard training program and successfully aced a course in water based rescue and recovery, as well as utilizing rescue equipment that these folks are known for. A lifeguard must maintain their equipment; as well as make sure the man-made, or man-maintained, areas around them are in proper shape. The lifeguard must be able to give first aide in an emergency, and typically is required to have undergone CPR certification.
The lifeguard job description entails a large number of tasks that the boy or girl must be aware of. These include, but are certainly not limited to enforcement, effective communication, teaching, and saving in an emergency. Duties include enforcing rules in order to preemptively solve challenges well before a problem can actually occur, and focusing on the observation of the general pool or beach area and all of the water participants in order to both prevent problems and identify potentially dangerous situations quickly and effectively.
All in all, while a great summer job for teenagers, lifeguarding requires diligent focus and astute mental and physical ability. If you are ready for the challenge, then heading to lifeguard training might just be perfect for you.