Rescue Protocols
This entry technique is used when entering water from the edge where you suspect a spinal injury or when the water depth is unknown.
What is a slide-in entry?
The very first step you should take when treating a minor external bleeding wound to control bleeding and protect against infection
What is applying direct pressure using a sterile dressing (or gloved hand)?
This active scanning strategy requires you to constantly adjust your body position, head, and eyes to see past glare and blind spots.
What is changing body position (or shifting your posture/standing up)?
The cycle of chest compressions to rescue breaths for adult CPR.
What is 30 chest compressions and 2 rescue breaths?
This essential piece of rescue equipment is worn around a lifeguard's waist and used to support victims.
What is a rescue tube?
This entry method is used from an elevated station or when breaking a fall into the water from a moderate height.
What is a compact jump?
If a spinal-injury victim is not breathing in the water, you must prioritize this over spine stabilization.
What is immediate removal from the water and opening the airway?
EAP stands for this phrase, which details everyone's roles during an emergency.
What is Emergency Action Plan?
This portable electronic device is used to analyze heart rhythms and deliver a shock during cardiac arrest.
What is an AED (Automated External Defibrillator)?
Testing pool water chemistry to ensure safe conditions and prevent waterborne illnesses falls under this classification of duties rather than active surveillance.
What are secondary responsibilities?
When performing a passive submerged rescue in deep water, this is the first thing you must do after bringing the victim to the surface.
What is roll the victim face-up (and give initial rescue breaths if appropriate)?
These devices are secured to the head of a backboard to restrict movement during a spinal immobilization.
What are head immobilizer blocks and straps?
This type of drowning victim slips quietly and quickly beneath the surface without struggling or calling for help.
What is a passive drowning victim?
The universal sign that a conscious person is choking.
What is clutching the throat with one or both hands?
Lifeguards must always carry this item on their person to clear airways or check breathing barriers.
What is a resuscitation mask (pocket mask)?
The Red Cross classifies swimmers needing assistance into these three distinct categories, each characterized by a specific set of physical behaviors from struggling to a silent, sudden submersion.
What are distressed swimmers, active drowning victims, and passive drowning victims?
This is the manual stabilization position used when a victim is face-down in the water with a suspected head, neck, or back injury.
What is the over-arm head-splint technique?
According to standard professional lifeguard protocols, this is the maximum allowable time frame from the moment an emergency begins to successfully recognize, reach, extricate a submerged victim, and deliver the first ventilation.
What is 1.5 to 2 minutes?
For a responsive choking adult, you alternate between 5 back blows and these.
What are 5 abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver)?
If the pool water pH drops too low (becomes too acidic), it can cause this physical irritation to swimmers.
What is eye irritation (or skin irritation / corrosion of pool equipment)?
The specific multi-rescuer technique used when removing an unresponsive victim from deep water using a backboard.
What is a rapid extrication using a backboard?
When strapping a victim to a backboard, this part of the body should be secured first to prevent sliding.
What is the chest/upper torso?
The exact maximum combined duration a lifeguard has to both recognize a drowning victim and physically reach them to maximize survival chances.
What is 30 seconds?
The acronym FAST is used to quickly identify the signs of this medical emergency.
What is a stroke?
The ideal normal range for pool water pH according to standard health codes.
What is 7.2 to 7.6?