Are you 15 or older and looking for a great summer job or a challenging career? American Red Cross Lifeguarding is the best place to start! Lifeguarding can put you on the path to exciting opportunities. You could be part of a team that saves a life!

Colleges and employers look for applicants who can deal effectively with people, who have a take charge attitude and who are willing to work to develop new skills.

What You Will Learn

American Red Cross lifeguard training is both challenging and rewarding. Through classroom and hands-on practice, you'll:

Additional Waterfront Learning Objectives:

• Describe conditions that affect surveillance at a waterfront.
• Describe and demonstrate how to perform the skills used in special rescue situations, such as missing person procedures and cold-water rescue.
• Demonstrate how to perform water-specific rescue skills for a waterfront facility.

Additional Waterpark Learning Objectives:

• Understand the conditions that affect surveillance at a waterpark.
• Understand and be able to explain safety rules and considerations at waterparks.
• Demonstrate how to perform specific water rescue skills for a waterpark facility.

Enroll today for American Red Cross Lifeguarding at an aquatics facility near you. Course lengths vary from 30 to 37 hours and options include:

• Lifeguarding - for lifeguards working at traditional pools.  Course length 31.25 hours, including precourse session.
• Waterfront Lifeguarding - for lifeguards at non-surf, open-water environments such as lakes and rivers, as well as traditional pools.  Course length 37 hours, including the precourse session.
• Waterpark Lifeguarding - for lifeguards at waterparks, multi-attraction facilities and traditional pools.  Course length 33.25 hours, including the precourse session.
• Shallow Water Attendant - for lifeguards that will work only in areas with water attractions up to four feet deep.  Course length 30.5 hours, including the precourse session.

Additional course options found at your local aquatic facility include:

• GuardStart: Lifeguarding Tomorrow (for those 11-14 years old)
• Lifeguard Management (designed for aquatic managers and lifeguard supervisors)

Prerequisites:

• Minimum age 15.
• Swim 300 yards continuously.
• Starting in the water, swim 20 yards using front crawl or breaststroke, surface dive 7-10 feet, retrieve a 10 pound object, return to the surface, swim 20 yards back to the starting point with the object and exit the water without using a ladder or steps, within 1 minute, 40 seconds.

Additional Waterfront Prerequisites:

• Swim 550 yards (about 500 meters) continuously.
• Swim 5 yards, submerge and retrieve three dive rings placed 5 yards apart in 4-7 feet of water, resurface and swim 5 yards to the side of the pool.

Certification Requirements:

• Attend and participate in all course sessions;
• Successfully perform all required skills;
• Successfully complete three final skill scenarios; and
• Pass the written exam with a score of 80 percent or better on each section

Certificate Issued and Validity Period:

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will receive a Lifeguard Training and First Aid Certificate, valid for 3 years and a CPR & AED for the Professional Rescuer Certificate, valid for 1 year.

For class locations, please call our Lifeguard Hotline: (262) 970-7443.

Course Sections

Dane County

Dodge County

To register, call (920) 921-3330 ext. 17.

• Tues. Sept. 2, 2008  9:00am-5:00pm
• Wed. Sept 3, 2008  9:00am-5:00pm
• Thurs. Sept. 4, 2008  9:00am-5:00pm
• Fri. Sept. 5, 2008  9:00am-5:00pm

Milwaukee County

West Suburban YMCA, 2420 N. 124th St., Wauwatosa

To register, call Jessica Mieling at (414) 454-4647.

• Sun. Sept. 14, 2008  1:30pm-3:00pm  Pretest
• Sun. Sept. 21, 2008  8:30am-3:00pm
• Sun. Sept. 28, 2008  8:30am-3:00pm
• Sun. Oct. 5, 2008  8:30am-3:00pm
• Sun. Oct. 12, 2008  8:30am-3:00pm
• Sun. Oct. 19, 2008  8:30am-3:00pm
• Sun. Oct. 26, 2008  8:30am-3:00pm

Ozaukee County

Racine County

Aurora Wellness Center, 300 McCanna Parkway, Burlington

To register, call Jennifer Sulik at (262) 767-7154.

• Tues. Dec. 2, 2008  4:30pm-9:30pm
• Thurs. Dec. 4, 2008  4:30pm-9:30pm
• Fri. Dec. 5, 2008  4:30pm-9:30pm
• Sat. Dec. 6, 2008  9:00am-7:00pm
• Sun. Dec. 7, 2008  1:00pm-9:00pm

Aurora Wellness Center, 300 McCanna Parkway, Burlington

Challenge Course - CPR/AED-Pro Recertification only

To register, call Jennifer Sulik at (262)  767-7154.

• Sun. Sept. 28, 2008  1:00pm-6:00pm

JMBA Aquatics Center, 1525 Howe St. MS 434, Racine

To register, call Britani Madala at (262)  260-4866.

• Thurs. Oct. 23, 2008  4:00pm-10:00pm
• Fri. Oct. 24, 2008  4:00pm-10:00pm
• Sat. Oct. 25, 2008  8:00am-5:00pm
• Sun. Oct. 26, 2008  8:00am-3:00pm

Racine Family YMCA, 725 Lake Ave., Racine

To register, call Jeff Johnson at (262)  635-3859.

• Fri. Aug. 22, 2008  4:00pm-8:00pm
• Sat. Aug. 23, 2008  1:00pm-9:00pm
• Sun. Aug. 24, 2008  1:00pm-9:00pm
• Fri. Aug. 29, 2008  4:00pm-8:00pm
• Sat. Aug. 30, 2008  1:00pm-9:00pm

Walworth County

Mercy Fitness & Whitewater Aquatic Center, 580 S. Elizabeth St., Whitewater

To register, call Kari Jacobs at (262) 473-4900.

• Thurs. Sept. 4, 2008  5:00pm-9:00pm
• Fri. Sept. 5, 2008  5:00pm-9:00pm
• Sat. Sept. 6, 2008  8:00am-5:00pm
• Sun. Sept 7, 2008  8:00am-5:00pm
• Tues. Sept. 9, 2008  5:00pm-9:00pm
• Thurs. Sept. 11, 2008  5:00pm-9:00pm

Washington County

Waukesha County

Waukesha Family YMCA, 320 E. Broadway, Waukesha

To register, call YMCA Business Office at (262) 542-2557.

• Sat. Dec. 6, 2008  8:00am-5:00pm
• Sun. Dec. 7, 2008  9:00am-5:00pm
• Sat. Dec. 13, 2008  8:00am-5:00pm
• Sun. Dec. 14, 2008  9:00am-5:00pm

Waukesha West High School, 3301 Saylesville Rd., Waukesha

Call Autumn Ryan at (262) 893-2979 or e-mail her at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   to schedule personal training including recertifications.