American Red Cross Lifeguarding Written Exam Study
Questions with Expert Solutions
What is the primary responsibility of a lifeguard? - Answer to prevent drowning and other injuries from
occurring at your aquatic facility.
Provide three examples of how lifeguards fulfill their primary responsibility - Answer monitoring
activities in and near the water through patron surveillance, preventing injuries by minimizing or
eliminating hazardous situations or behaviors, enforcing facility rules and regulations and educating
patrons about them, recognizing and responding quickly and effectively to all the emergencies,
administering first aid and CPR including using an automated external defibrillator (AED) and if trained,
administering emergency oxygen when needed, working as a team with other lifeguards, faculty, and
staff management.
list 5 examples of secondary responsibilities (other tasks) that should never interfere with patron
surveillance - Answer testing the pool water chemistry, assist patrons by performing safety orientations,
administering swim tests, fitting life jackets and other duties, cleaning or performing maintenance,
completing records and reports, performing opening duties, closing duties, or facility safety checks and
inspections.
list 5 characteristics of a professional lifeguard - Answer knowledgeable and skilled, reliable, mature,
courteous and consistent, positive, professional, healthy and fit
lifeguards should: - Answer always be attentive and sit or stand upright when on surveillance duty
a lifeguard is texting while on surveillance duty and fails to recognize a swimmer in distress. what legal
principle could be a problem for this lifeguard? - Answer negligence
list the 5 steps that a lifeguard should take when obtaining consent from an injured or ill person before
providing first air or emergency care - Answer state your name, state your level of training, ask if you
may help, explain that you would like to assess them to find out what you think may be wrong or what
you can do to help, explain what you plan to do.
what is the validity of an American Red Cross lifeguarding certification? how does an American Red
Cross certified lifeguard get recertified? - Answer (2 years.) annual certification training.
,why is it important to attend a pre-season orientation and training - Answer to ensure lifeguards
understand their responsibilities and know how to perform their job, to ensure that they get practice
with their facilities safety and rescue equipment and emergency action plans, to ensure they understand
codes, rules and regulations of their facility.
what does EAP stand for - Answer emergency action plan
why is it important for lifeguards and other team members to understand and practice the EAP - Answer
to know what role you'll play, to know how you all work as a team
what is the best practice for the frequency of in-service training participation at well-managed aquatic
facilities - Answer at least. hours of in service training each month
what are the benefits of regular, frequent in-service training - Answer gives you a chance to maintain
your knowledge and skills at a professional level and practice with the lifeguards at your facility.
list. topics that could be a discussed during in-service training - Answer 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.
what items are considered to be personal protective equipment for a lifeguard - Answer resuscitation
mask and gloves. (May also include gowns, masks, shields, protective eyewear)
what equipment should be worn or carried by a lifeguard at all times while on duty? list at least two and
include the reasons why this equipment should be worn or carried - Answer rescue tube (keeping
people afloat), resuscitation mask (one way mouth to mouth contact for oxygen) and gloves (protect
yourself from infectious materials). (Whistle: to signal other lifeguards)
what safety equipment/items should be easily accessible for a lifeguard while on duty? list at least two
and describe how/when each item is used - Answer back boards (to remove victims from the water
when they are unable to exit on their own), rescue buoy (to throw to a person to keep them afloat),
other personal protective equipment (PPE), other resuscitation equipment, an automated external
defibrillator (AED), first aid supplies and rescue boards.
, as a lifeguard you are responsible for? - Answer consistently enforcing your facilities rules and
regulations
list 5 common rules and regulations often posted at an aquatic facility - Answer swim only when a
lifeguard is on duty, swim diapers are required for small children or people with incontinence, no
swimming with open or infected wounds, obey lifeguard instructions at all times, no hyperventilating
before swimming, underwater or breath holding contests, no sitting of playing near or with drains or
suction fittings, dive only in designated areas, no glass containers in the pool area and locker rooms, no
alcoholic beverages or drugs allowed.
explain what it means to be equipped and rescue ready - Answer having like the proper things on you
and being alert (not doing other things)
list each type of swimmers in distress or growing victims with three observable characteristics for each -
Answer PAGE 63
DISTRESSED SWIMMER: above the water, trying to support self by holding or clinging to a lane, line,
expression for concern for personal safety, is breathing, floating, sculling or treading water, might wave
for help, horizontal, vertical, or diagonal, little or no forward moving progress, less and less able to
support self, able to call for help but might not do so, at the surface of water.
DROWNING VICTIM- ACTIVE: someone who is struggling to remain at the surface of the water, they are
tying to keep their mouth above the water (instinctive drowning response). they may not be able to call
out for help, works to keep their face above the water, may be horizontal face down position, has
extended arms to the side or front pressing down for support, is positioned vertically in the water with
an ineffective kick, might continue to struggle underwater once submerged, eventually will lose
consciousness and stop moving.
DROWNING VICTIM - PASSIVE: no struggle/slipping underwater due to a medical condition such as
having a heart, seizure, head injury, heart related illness, hypothermia, hyperventilation/prolonged
underwater breath holding. they might float face down or near the surface or bottom, might be limp or
have little movement, have no body action/no breathing, might look like their floating, may be face
down, on one side, face up or at the bottom.
Questions with Expert Solutions
What is the primary responsibility of a lifeguard? - Answer to prevent drowning and other injuries from
occurring at your aquatic facility.
Provide three examples of how lifeguards fulfill their primary responsibility - Answer monitoring
activities in and near the water through patron surveillance, preventing injuries by minimizing or
eliminating hazardous situations or behaviors, enforcing facility rules and regulations and educating
patrons about them, recognizing and responding quickly and effectively to all the emergencies,
administering first aid and CPR including using an automated external defibrillator (AED) and if trained,
administering emergency oxygen when needed, working as a team with other lifeguards, faculty, and
staff management.
list 5 examples of secondary responsibilities (other tasks) that should never interfere with patron
surveillance - Answer testing the pool water chemistry, assist patrons by performing safety orientations,
administering swim tests, fitting life jackets and other duties, cleaning or performing maintenance,
completing records and reports, performing opening duties, closing duties, or facility safety checks and
inspections.
list 5 characteristics of a professional lifeguard - Answer knowledgeable and skilled, reliable, mature,
courteous and consistent, positive, professional, healthy and fit
lifeguards should: - Answer always be attentive and sit or stand upright when on surveillance duty
a lifeguard is texting while on surveillance duty and fails to recognize a swimmer in distress. what legal
principle could be a problem for this lifeguard? - Answer negligence
list the 5 steps that a lifeguard should take when obtaining consent from an injured or ill person before
providing first air or emergency care - Answer state your name, state your level of training, ask if you
may help, explain that you would like to assess them to find out what you think may be wrong or what
you can do to help, explain what you plan to do.
what is the validity of an American Red Cross lifeguarding certification? how does an American Red
Cross certified lifeguard get recertified? - Answer (2 years.) annual certification training.
,why is it important to attend a pre-season orientation and training - Answer to ensure lifeguards
understand their responsibilities and know how to perform their job, to ensure that they get practice
with their facilities safety and rescue equipment and emergency action plans, to ensure they understand
codes, rules and regulations of their facility.
what does EAP stand for - Answer emergency action plan
why is it important for lifeguards and other team members to understand and practice the EAP - Answer
to know what role you'll play, to know how you all work as a team
what is the best practice for the frequency of in-service training participation at well-managed aquatic
facilities - Answer at least. hours of in service training each month
what are the benefits of regular, frequent in-service training - Answer gives you a chance to maintain
your knowledge and skills at a professional level and practice with the lifeguards at your facility.
list. topics that could be a discussed during in-service training - Answer 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.
what items are considered to be personal protective equipment for a lifeguard - Answer resuscitation
mask and gloves. (May also include gowns, masks, shields, protective eyewear)
what equipment should be worn or carried by a lifeguard at all times while on duty? list at least two and
include the reasons why this equipment should be worn or carried - Answer rescue tube (keeping
people afloat), resuscitation mask (one way mouth to mouth contact for oxygen) and gloves (protect
yourself from infectious materials). (Whistle: to signal other lifeguards)
what safety equipment/items should be easily accessible for a lifeguard while on duty? list at least two
and describe how/when each item is used - Answer back boards (to remove victims from the water
when they are unable to exit on their own), rescue buoy (to throw to a person to keep them afloat),
other personal protective equipment (PPE), other resuscitation equipment, an automated external
defibrillator (AED), first aid supplies and rescue boards.
, as a lifeguard you are responsible for? - Answer consistently enforcing your facilities rules and
regulations
list 5 common rules and regulations often posted at an aquatic facility - Answer swim only when a
lifeguard is on duty, swim diapers are required for small children or people with incontinence, no
swimming with open or infected wounds, obey lifeguard instructions at all times, no hyperventilating
before swimming, underwater or breath holding contests, no sitting of playing near or with drains or
suction fittings, dive only in designated areas, no glass containers in the pool area and locker rooms, no
alcoholic beverages or drugs allowed.
explain what it means to be equipped and rescue ready - Answer having like the proper things on you
and being alert (not doing other things)
list each type of swimmers in distress or growing victims with three observable characteristics for each -
Answer PAGE 63
DISTRESSED SWIMMER: above the water, trying to support self by holding or clinging to a lane, line,
expression for concern for personal safety, is breathing, floating, sculling or treading water, might wave
for help, horizontal, vertical, or diagonal, little or no forward moving progress, less and less able to
support self, able to call for help but might not do so, at the surface of water.
DROWNING VICTIM- ACTIVE: someone who is struggling to remain at the surface of the water, they are
tying to keep their mouth above the water (instinctive drowning response). they may not be able to call
out for help, works to keep their face above the water, may be horizontal face down position, has
extended arms to the side or front pressing down for support, is positioned vertically in the water with
an ineffective kick, might continue to struggle underwater once submerged, eventually will lose
consciousness and stop moving.
DROWNING VICTIM - PASSIVE: no struggle/slipping underwater due to a medical condition such as
having a heart, seizure, head injury, heart related illness, hypothermia, hyperventilation/prolonged
underwater breath holding. they might float face down or near the surface or bottom, might be limp or
have little movement, have no body action/no breathing, might look like their floating, may be face
down, on one side, face up or at the bottom.
