An Cosantóir the official magazine of the Irish Defence Forces and Reserve Defence Forces.
Issue link: https://digital.jmpublishing.ie/i/793089
An Cosantóir March 2017 www.dfmagazine.ie 14 | Water Safety by SGT RENA KENNEDY PHoToS by ARMN ADAM MURPHY T he Pool lifeguard course is an intensive four-week course in the DF Physical Education School (DFPES). While you must be a competent swimmer to apply for the course Life Guard Instruc- tor Sgt Mick brogan recommends that unless you can swim continuously for a minimum of 30 lengths this course will not be suited to you. There is a swim assessment on Day 1, consisting of 16 continuous lengths exercising each of the lifesaving strokes: front crawl, breaststroke, inverted breaststroke and sidestroke. Morning endur- ance swims commence on Day 3, which sees the students in DPM shirt, slacks and runners swim- ming laps of the pool often for times in excess of 80 minutes. During the course you are trained how to assess an emergency situation and how to conduct a rescue from both land and water-based approaches remembering all the time Sgt Brogan's words of wisdom: "A good lifeguard never gets wet!" Students also develop skills in the areas of risk awareness, safety, basic life support, basic first-aid, spinal injury protocol, and use of rescue equipment including defibrillator. It is also recommended by the pool staff to approach them in advance of the course to determine if you have the stroke proficien- cy, fitness and endurance required as the intensity of the course does not allow for stroke improve- ment or instruction. Recently qualified Lifeguard Instructor Pte Ryan Burke adds, "You should come and swim a few sessions wearing your DPM to get a sense of how different it is to swim wearing clothes as realisti- cally any rescue you carry out outside the swim- ming pool environment, the rescuer will most likely be fully clothed." The successful students were tested and qualified under Irish Water Safety. Irish Water Safety is the statutory body established to promote water safety in Ireland. Their role is to educate people in water safety best practices. To develop public awareness campaigns to promote necessary attitudes, rescue skills and behaviour to prevent drownings and water related accidents. www.iws.ie The Pool Lifeguard Course Pte Lee Boyd rescues Tpr James Burke Pte Garrett Tyrrell rescues Gnr Greg Walsh