RED CROSS LIFEGUARDING EXAM
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
primary responsibility - Correct Answers -prevent drowning and other injuries from
occurring
at your aquatic facility by providing patron surveillance, inspecting the pool & lifeguard
equipment before opening and at closing, enforcing pool rules &
regulations.
secondary responsibilities - Correct Answers -Filling out records and reports,
maintenance, and inspecting the facility, conducting swim tests, testing the water. must
never interfere with your primary
responsibility of patron surveillance.
FIND (decision making acronym) - Correct Answers -Figure out the problem
Identify possible solutions
Name the pros and cons for each
Decide which solution is best and act on it
legal considerations - Correct Answers -To avoid liability, it is important to understand
the following legal principles that apply to your role as a professional lifeguard: duty to
act, standard of care, negligence, abandonment, confidentiality, documentation, consent
and refusal of care
DUTY TO ACT - Correct Answers -While on the job, you have a legal responsibility to
act in an emergency. Failure to adhere to this duty could result in legal action.
STANDARD OF CARE - Correct Answers -you are expected to meet a minimum
standard of care. This standard requires you to: Communicate proper information and
warnings to help prevent injuries, recognize someone in need of care, Attempt to rescue
those needing assistance & provide emergency care according to your level of training.
NEGLIGENCE - Correct Answers -When a person is injured or suffers additional harm
because lifeguards failed to follow the standard of care or failed to act at all, the
lifeguards may be considered negligent. Negligence includes: Failing to control or stop
any behaviors that could result in further harm or injury, failing to provide care, providing
inappropriate care, & providing care beyond the scope of practice or level of training.
,ABANDONMENT. - Correct Answers -- once care is initiated, it must be continued until
emergency medical services (EMS) personnel or someone with equal or greater training
arrives and takes over. You can be held legally responsible for abandoning a person
who requires ongoing care if you leave the scene or stop providing care
CONFIDENTIALITY - Correct Answers -While making a rescue or providing care, you
may learn something about the injured or ill person, such as information about medical
conditions, physical problems and medications taken. Laws that require you to keep
their information confidential protect a person's right to privacy. This information should
not be shared with anyone except EMS personnel directly associated with the person's
care, facility management or the facility's legal counsel.
DOCUMENTATION - Correct Answers -Documenting injuries and incidents is very
important. If legal action occurs later, your records and reports can provide legal
documentation of what was seen, heard and done at the scene. Complete the required
forms as soon as possible after the incident, preferably, immediately after the incident.
As time passes, critical details may be forgotten. When completing a report, state the
facts of the incident without including your opinion. Once the report is complete, sign
and date it and have all responders read the report, then sign and date it as well. A copy
of the report should be kept by the facility.
CONSENT - Correct Answers -- An injured or ill person must give permission before
responders can provide first aid and emergency care. To obtain consent: State your
name. State your level of training. Ask if you may help. Explain that you would like to
assess him or her to find out what you think may be wrong or what you can do to help.
Explain what you plan to do. With this information, an ill or injured person can grant his
or her informed consent for care. Someone who is unconscious, confused or seriously
injured or ill (such as in a nonfatal drowning) may not be able to grant consent. In these
cases, the law assumes the victim would give consent if he or she were able to do so.
This is called implied consent. Implied consent also applies to a minor who needs
emergency medical assistance and whose parent or guardian is not present.
REFUSAL OF CARE- - Correct Answers -Injured or ill people may refuse care, even if
they desperately need it. Parents also may refuse care for children. Even though
someone may be seriously injured, his or her wishes must be honored. In these
situations, you should explain why he or she needs care. For significant injuries, you
should call EMS personnel to evaluate the situation. For non-life-threatening
emergencies, when care is refused and you are asked not to call EMS personnel, make
it clear that you are neither denying nor withholding care and that you are not
abandoning the victim. You must document any refusal of care. Someone else, such as
another lifeguard, should witness the person's refusal of care and sign a report. Ask the
person who refuses care to sign the report as well; if he or she refuses to sign, note that
on the report.
GOOD SAMARITAN LAWS-. - Correct Answers -Protect people against claims of
negligence after having provided emergency care in good faith without having accepted
, anything in return. These laws differ somewhat from state to state but generally help to
protect people who act in good faith, within the scope of their training, and who are not
negligent. Some Good Samaritan laws, however, do not provide coverage for
individuals who have a legal duty to act, which includes professional lifeguards.
Therefore, it is important that lifeguards consult a lawyer or the facility's legal counsel to
determine the degree of protection provided by their state's Good Samaritan laws
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL - Correct Answers -A policies and
procedures manual should provide the information that you need to understand what is
expected of you, to be able to work safely and to perform your duties effectively. This
manual usually includes administrative policies and procedures, personnel policies and
guidelines and standard operating procedures.
IN-SERVICE TRAINING- - Correct Answers -Lifeguards participate in a minimum of 4
hours of in-service training each month. The facility manager, lifeguard supervisor, a
head lifeguard may conduct in-service trainings. Training sessions will address issues,
such as surveillance and recognition, water and land rescue skills, emergency response
drills, decision making protocols, facility rules and regulations, customer service,
records and reports and physical conditioning.
EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN- - Correct Answers -The lifeguard team and other staff
members must practice the facility's EAPs together until everyone knows their
responsibilities and can perform them effectively. Because conditions can change
throughout the day, you may need to adapt the EAP to a particular situation. Some
facilities have created more than one EAP to cover specific situations or conditions.
Factors that may affect the steps of an EAP include the number of lifeguards on duty.
Every aquatic facility has its own specific set of EAPs based on the unique
characteristics at each facility. Factors such as the facility's layout, number of staff on
duty at a time, location of back-up lifeguards and other safety team members,
equipment used and typical response times of the local emergency medical services
(EMS) system are included in the plan. EAPs should be practiced regularly and included
in your facility's policies and procedures manual.
SAFETY TEAM- - Correct Answers -the lifeguard team is part of a larger group called a
safety team—it's a network of people who prevent, prepare for, respond to and assist in
an emergency at an aquatic facility. After your lifeguard team activates the facility's
EAP, the safety team needs to back you up and provide assistance. The main objective
of the safety team is to assist you in maintaining a safe environment and providing
emergency care. The safety team includes lifeguards, other facility staff, EMS, police,
and fire departments.
PATRON SURVEILLANCE- - Correct Answers -When performing patron surveillance,
always keep the rescue tube ready to use immediately. Keep the strap of the rescue
tube over the shoulder and neck. Hold the rescue tube across your thighs when sitting
in a lifeguard chair or across your stomach when standing. Hold or gather the excess
line to keep it from getting caught in the chair or other equipment when you move or
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
primary responsibility - Correct Answers -prevent drowning and other injuries from
occurring
at your aquatic facility by providing patron surveillance, inspecting the pool & lifeguard
equipment before opening and at closing, enforcing pool rules &
regulations.
secondary responsibilities - Correct Answers -Filling out records and reports,
maintenance, and inspecting the facility, conducting swim tests, testing the water. must
never interfere with your primary
responsibility of patron surveillance.
FIND (decision making acronym) - Correct Answers -Figure out the problem
Identify possible solutions
Name the pros and cons for each
Decide which solution is best and act on it
legal considerations - Correct Answers -To avoid liability, it is important to understand
the following legal principles that apply to your role as a professional lifeguard: duty to
act, standard of care, negligence, abandonment, confidentiality, documentation, consent
and refusal of care
DUTY TO ACT - Correct Answers -While on the job, you have a legal responsibility to
act in an emergency. Failure to adhere to this duty could result in legal action.
STANDARD OF CARE - Correct Answers -you are expected to meet a minimum
standard of care. This standard requires you to: Communicate proper information and
warnings to help prevent injuries, recognize someone in need of care, Attempt to rescue
those needing assistance & provide emergency care according to your level of training.
NEGLIGENCE - Correct Answers -When a person is injured or suffers additional harm
because lifeguards failed to follow the standard of care or failed to act at all, the
lifeguards may be considered negligent. Negligence includes: Failing to control or stop
any behaviors that could result in further harm or injury, failing to provide care, providing
inappropriate care, & providing care beyond the scope of practice or level of training.
,ABANDONMENT. - Correct Answers -- once care is initiated, it must be continued until
emergency medical services (EMS) personnel or someone with equal or greater training
arrives and takes over. You can be held legally responsible for abandoning a person
who requires ongoing care if you leave the scene or stop providing care
CONFIDENTIALITY - Correct Answers -While making a rescue or providing care, you
may learn something about the injured or ill person, such as information about medical
conditions, physical problems and medications taken. Laws that require you to keep
their information confidential protect a person's right to privacy. This information should
not be shared with anyone except EMS personnel directly associated with the person's
care, facility management or the facility's legal counsel.
DOCUMENTATION - Correct Answers -Documenting injuries and incidents is very
important. If legal action occurs later, your records and reports can provide legal
documentation of what was seen, heard and done at the scene. Complete the required
forms as soon as possible after the incident, preferably, immediately after the incident.
As time passes, critical details may be forgotten. When completing a report, state the
facts of the incident without including your opinion. Once the report is complete, sign
and date it and have all responders read the report, then sign and date it as well. A copy
of the report should be kept by the facility.
CONSENT - Correct Answers -- An injured or ill person must give permission before
responders can provide first aid and emergency care. To obtain consent: State your
name. State your level of training. Ask if you may help. Explain that you would like to
assess him or her to find out what you think may be wrong or what you can do to help.
Explain what you plan to do. With this information, an ill or injured person can grant his
or her informed consent for care. Someone who is unconscious, confused or seriously
injured or ill (such as in a nonfatal drowning) may not be able to grant consent. In these
cases, the law assumes the victim would give consent if he or she were able to do so.
This is called implied consent. Implied consent also applies to a minor who needs
emergency medical assistance and whose parent or guardian is not present.
REFUSAL OF CARE- - Correct Answers -Injured or ill people may refuse care, even if
they desperately need it. Parents also may refuse care for children. Even though
someone may be seriously injured, his or her wishes must be honored. In these
situations, you should explain why he or she needs care. For significant injuries, you
should call EMS personnel to evaluate the situation. For non-life-threatening
emergencies, when care is refused and you are asked not to call EMS personnel, make
it clear that you are neither denying nor withholding care and that you are not
abandoning the victim. You must document any refusal of care. Someone else, such as
another lifeguard, should witness the person's refusal of care and sign a report. Ask the
person who refuses care to sign the report as well; if he or she refuses to sign, note that
on the report.
GOOD SAMARITAN LAWS-. - Correct Answers -Protect people against claims of
negligence after having provided emergency care in good faith without having accepted
, anything in return. These laws differ somewhat from state to state but generally help to
protect people who act in good faith, within the scope of their training, and who are not
negligent. Some Good Samaritan laws, however, do not provide coverage for
individuals who have a legal duty to act, which includes professional lifeguards.
Therefore, it is important that lifeguards consult a lawyer or the facility's legal counsel to
determine the degree of protection provided by their state's Good Samaritan laws
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL - Correct Answers -A policies and
procedures manual should provide the information that you need to understand what is
expected of you, to be able to work safely and to perform your duties effectively. This
manual usually includes administrative policies and procedures, personnel policies and
guidelines and standard operating procedures.
IN-SERVICE TRAINING- - Correct Answers -Lifeguards participate in a minimum of 4
hours of in-service training each month. The facility manager, lifeguard supervisor, a
head lifeguard may conduct in-service trainings. Training sessions will address issues,
such as surveillance and recognition, water and land rescue skills, emergency response
drills, decision making protocols, facility rules and regulations, customer service,
records and reports and physical conditioning.
EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN- - Correct Answers -The lifeguard team and other staff
members must practice the facility's EAPs together until everyone knows their
responsibilities and can perform them effectively. Because conditions can change
throughout the day, you may need to adapt the EAP to a particular situation. Some
facilities have created more than one EAP to cover specific situations or conditions.
Factors that may affect the steps of an EAP include the number of lifeguards on duty.
Every aquatic facility has its own specific set of EAPs based on the unique
characteristics at each facility. Factors such as the facility's layout, number of staff on
duty at a time, location of back-up lifeguards and other safety team members,
equipment used and typical response times of the local emergency medical services
(EMS) system are included in the plan. EAPs should be practiced regularly and included
in your facility's policies and procedures manual.
SAFETY TEAM- - Correct Answers -the lifeguard team is part of a larger group called a
safety team—it's a network of people who prevent, prepare for, respond to and assist in
an emergency at an aquatic facility. After your lifeguard team activates the facility's
EAP, the safety team needs to back you up and provide assistance. The main objective
of the safety team is to assist you in maintaining a safe environment and providing
emergency care. The safety team includes lifeguards, other facility staff, EMS, police,
and fire departments.
PATRON SURVEILLANCE- - Correct Answers -When performing patron surveillance,
always keep the rescue tube ready to use immediately. Keep the strap of the rescue
tube over the shoulder and neck. Hold the rescue tube across your thighs when sitting
in a lifeguard chair or across your stomach when standing. Hold or gather the excess
line to keep it from getting caught in the chair or other equipment when you move or
