My Lifeguard Moment

The summer before my Senior year, I worked as a Lifeguard, a job that holds more challenge and importance than any other job a high schooler could hold. Before I could even work as a lifeguard, I spent a month certifying myself along with others who would later become my colleagues. From training we learned the basics: Basic Life Support, First Aid, and Emergency Oxygen, valuable knowledge for people who held the lives of patrons in their hands. But the most important thing we learned, was the value of teamwork and coordination. All the skills we learned were useful by themselves, but they would account for nothing in a actual situation if chaos ensues. If there is no order or communication, there are very serious risks of death, injury, and

A boy who managed to slip past the slide operator at the top of the slides was overcome by the force of the water. It was then that he became under distress and he became an active drowner. I blew my whistle alerting the other guards to initiate the protocol. While I did my part by jumping in after the child, I knew I could trust my team to not only cover my zone, but ensure the safety of other patrons. While I towed the child to the side of the pool, I found my manager standing by the pool side calming the parents of the child and making sure they did not jump in, potentially creating another

My manager helped me fill out incident forms as well. I learned from that experience that the actual incident is nothing like the training, but no matter what I could count on the other lifeguards to do what needs to be done in order to ensure the safety of the patrons. I also learned that the managers will support me when it is required. The people around you each have a part to play in the task at hand, if everyone does their job, the process of getting the task completed is easier and the product of that effort is better than any solo effort. Use the people around you to better yourself and in return help them improve as well. Managers and instructors are there for a reason, take advantage of their knowledge and experience in order to better yourself and in return improving the entire