Becoming a Lifeguard
To become a lifeguard requires a number of skills and attributes, most important of which are a positive outlook and a 'can do' attitude! There are some specific requirements such as the ability to swim well, but these can be developed along with your surf lifeguard instructor, as they lead you through your Surf Lifeguard Award - the minimum requirement to patrol New Zealand beach's.
Surf Lifeguard Award
The New Zealand Surf Lifeguard Award is assessed in several sections. The requirements are:
|
|
- 200m run - 200m swim - 200m run
|
|
|
- Theory test covering beach management, first aid, emergency response & Lifeguarding skills
|
Once you register your interest with the club, you will be added to a training group and assigned an instructor. The instructor will provide you with all the necessary skills and knowledge, and with a little hard work and study you can achieve your Surf Lifeguard Award, and be ready to patrol the beach!
A Day In The Life.
On a normal weekend, patrol runs from 1 - 5pm on Saturday and 10am - 5pm on Sunday. Every patrol has a Patrol Captain (P.C.), who is responsible for the smooth running of the patrol, setting up of the flagged area and general patrol operations. Each patrol will consist of a mixture of experienced and new members with a wide range of skills.
The first thing a patrol will do is set up the flagged area. Once this is done the P.C will direct beach patrols (patrolling the flags) and roaming patrols using the quad bikes or 4WD vehicle. Patrol members will rotate between responsibilities, keeping themselves active. The Mount Lifeguard Service focus's on a proactive approach; preferring to carry out preventative actions (dealing with problems before they arise) rather than rescues.
During quiet weekends, or even quiet summers when the Mount has no or very little surf, there are often few rescues. However the Mount can really 'fire' when heavy surf and high swimmer numbers coincide, keeping lifeguards busy from start till finish.
The Mount is a unique lifeguarding environment. The popularity of Mount Maunganui as a summer resort often means guards are called upon to deal with scenarios that fall outside the usual lifeguarding portfolio. Incidents on the Mount itself are often dealt with by lifeguards, stretching their skills and fitness as they deal with anything from broken limbs and heart attacks to crashed parachutes.
At the end of a long day on the beach, the Club has a bar which is open to members nightly over the peak summer period, and members young and old often stick around for a BBQ and refreshments. The surf club has its own accommodation for members to stay in, and guards use this almost constantly over the summer.
Continuing Education
Some lifeguards are content to achieve their Surf Lifeguard Award, and provided they are 'refreshed' each season, continue to patrol the beach for many years. There are however, several opportunities to continue improving and broadening your skill base in several different directions.
Many of the qualifications available to lifeguards are now consistent with the NZ qualifications framework, meaning they are nationally recognised and transferable into many employment situations. Indeed skills such as first aid, leadership and incident management are highly sort after by employers.
