PHOENIX — Being a lifeguard is more than just sitting on a highchair, telling kids to walk and not run around the pool and soaking up some sun.
“This job is a very big responsibility, and it has a lot of life lessons that you’ll carry on for a long time,” said Ashley Brown, a lifeguard and swim instructor for the City of Phoenix.
Brown has been a lifeguard for three years and recommends it to any teen looking for a great first job. Teens interested in becoming a lifeguard here in the Valley are in luck because the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation is offering a free lifeguard certification program.
The program is sponsored by Cigna Healthcare and is designed to teach teens water safety, CPR, and leadership skills.
The Junior Lifeguard Program is open to 14- and 15-year-olds. The Lifeguard Academy program is for teens 15 through 17 years of age. The main difference between the two programs is that Lifeguard Academy teens can become lifeguard certified.
Both programs will start on June 20. The Junior Lifeguard Program will end on July 23, while the Lifeguard Academy teens will be able to get formal certification training and end on Aug. 7. There are still some spots open and teens can register here.
“They get to work on their swimming skills, they get to work on treading water, they get to work on learning how to do a rescue,” said Becky Kirk, aquatics supervisor with the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department. “The three times they meet during the week is really geared at giving the participants the taste of what it’s like to be a lifeguard.”
Kirk said teens need to be 15 years old in order to get certified. Even though the younger teens in the junior program won’t get certified, they are still gaining valuable water safety lessons, Kirk said.
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There are some prerequisites that teens need to pass before they can take the lifeguard course, Kirk said. Teens need to swim continuously for 300 yards (about 12 laps in a 25-yard pool), tread water for 60 seconds without using their hands and bring up a 10-pound brick from the bottom of the pool.
Kirk said after they successfully complete these tasks, the Lifeguard Academy teens will take the lifeguard training class which is about 28 hours. Eight hours of this training is dedicated to online/blended learning where teens “learn really everything about lifeguarding,” Kirk said.
“Then, there’s a 20-hour hands-on in the water physical practicing skills, CPR, first aid, learning how to use an AED (automated external defibrillator). And then of course all the water rescue skills,” Kirk said.
The training might sound overwhelming, and Brown said she felt nervous going through hers. Even though there is a lot of information and some tests to get through, Brown is glad she stuck to it.
“I know [so] many people have started the training and then they stop, or they get certified and don’t apply to be a lifeguard,” Brown said. “I would just say don’t back out and keep going. It’s very worth it.”
Brown has become friends with the other guards and enjoys snacking on popsicles and playing some pool games with her work friends when there is downtime. She said she used to look up to the guards when she was little and taking swim lessons. Now, she gets to help kids feel more comfortable swimming and rescue them if something goes wrong.
“This is probably one of the best jobs a teenager could have,” Kirk said. “It teaches them skill sets they need for whatever career they decide to choose [and] whatever path they decide to go on.”
Teens who get certified in August can apply to become a lifeguard for the summer 2023 season starting in November. For more information about the programs visit: phoenix.gov/pools.
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