3 Skills Every Lifeguard Should Possess

Lifeguards are in high demand during the spring and summer. They are the individuals responsible for making sure everyone is safe and secure in the water. Even the best of swimmers can sometimes have problems. That's where a lifeguard can come in and help the struggling individual out. If you are looking at working as a lifeguard, you need to possess certain skills. Here are a few of the skills that every good lifeguard should have.

Exceptional communication skills.

As a lifeguard, there is no way to tell what is going to pop up from one day to the next. In the event a major emergency does occur and you need medical backup from the authorities, you need to be able to clearly communicate what it is that you need. Whether it be an ambulance, police backup or whatever, you have to be able to tell the proper personnel who you need dispatched to the scene, even amidst a major emergency. You should also be able to communicate any symptoms or signs of distress in the individual who needs medical assistance, such as dilated pupils, shortness of breath, chest pains and so on.

Quick and calm response.

In the event an emergency situation arises, you need to be able to spring into action quickly and calmly. It isn't going to do the struggling victim any good if you are in a state of panic. You need to have a calm head on your shoulders and respond to the situation appropriately. There shouldn't be any signs of hesitation on your part. Calmness and quickness will go a long way working as a lifeguard.

Strong fitness skills.

Depending on where you are working as a lifeguard, you might have to swim out a few hundred feet to get to the victim. Because of this, you need to be in excellent shape at all times. It isn't going to help the victim if you are gasping for air and struggling to get to them when they are already struggling just to stay afloat. Proper training and physical fitness can go a long way to saving lives when working in a lifeguard capacity.

If you possess the three skills above, you might be perfect for working as a lifeguard. Spend some time going over all of the job requirements and training needed to determine if this is the right career path for you or not.