[Skip to content]

West Dunbartonshire Council
Search our Site
A -Z of Services
.

National Pool Lifeguard Qualification

Do you want to be a lifeguard? Leisure services recruits staff at regular intervals throughout the year. To apply you must hold a valid National Pool Lifeguard Qualification. We currently run a programme of courses for members of the public to attend, these courses run at each of our three facilities and have a strict limit of 12 places per course.

 

The course fee is £190 and applicants must be over 16, a strong swimmer and physically fit. If you are interested please contact one of our three facilities for more information. The following information gives applicants a brief insight into what is envolved.

 

 

A lifeguard's main role is accident prevention. They do this by continually scanning their supervision area - looking for bathers in distress - and proactively directing bather behaviour. Lifeguards are trained in several different scanning techniques and strategies. 

Lifeguard

 

Drowning is a process. When people drown they exhibit certain universal characteristics - body position, head position, arm actions, leg actions etc. Lifeguards are trained to recognise these characteristics.

 

Lifeguards are trained in casualty rescue techniques and will learn at least 8 different types of towing techniques and when to use them.

 

Lifeguards are trained in aquatic spinal cord injury management techniques including the use of specialist equipment.

 

Lifeguards are trained in emergency first aid techniques and their application in both wet and dry environments.

 

Lifeguards are trained to supervise specialist equipment and activities as well as in resuscitation techniques for adults, children and babies.

 

Read further information on the NPLQ course content.

See the 2008 NPLQ course timetable.