The American Red Cross has launched its freshly updated lifeguarding program, backed by science and including new virtual reality capabilities. The American Red Cross has long been a leader in developing aquatic instruction and science, and the newly updated program offers the latest technology to help deliver training based on the most up-to-date scientific data.
All American Red Cross training is backed by a 60-plus-member council of nationally recognized medical, scientific and academic experts committed to collecting research, conducting rigorous reviews and ensuring that the content of the program aligns with industry best practices and international guidelines for resuscitation. In addition, the American Red Cross relies on a specialized interdisciplinary Aquatics sub-council, made up of physicians, researchers and practitioners. “Encompassing everything from water safety to swim instruction to lifeguarding, this sub-council is committed to not only preventing water emergencies but responding to them with skill if they do occur,” the Red Cross states in a brochure describing its newest lifeguarding offering. Areas of dedicated research include: surveillance, scanning and rotation; lifeguard station visibility; inattentional blindness; drowning resuscitation; single-rescuer and multiple-rescuer response; spinal injury management and more.
The Red Cross Lifeguarding, Lifeguarding Instructor and Lifeguarding Instructor Trainer courses incorporate modern educational resources to ensure the learning and teaching are engaging, interactive and, most importantly, effective. The courses feature realistic educational videos; surveillance, scanning and injury prevention drills; professional-level response with team response practice; custom training for non-surf aquatic environment; simplified recertification and crossover processes; flexible delivery options; and more.
The newest update to the Red Cross training modalities is the addition of a cutting-edge Red Cross Lifeguard VR app, which allows lifeguards to practice and hone their surveillance and scanning skills. The exclusive app immerses users in realistic drowning scenarios that include typical challenges like glare, water movement, blind spots and more. The award-winning VR app empowers instructors with the ability to track and evaluate performance metrics objectively, delivering an optional virtual experience that can reinforce skills learned in the classroom.
Learn more at redcross.org/lifeguarding.