American Red Cross Lifeguarding - Exam Questions and Answers 100% Guaranteed Pass
What is the primary responsibility of a lifeguard? - Answers To prevent drowning and other injuries from
occurring at their aquatic facility
Examples of fulfilling primary responsibilities - Answers - Monitoring activities in and near the water
through patron surveillance
- Preventing injuries by minimizing or eliminating hazardous behaviors
- Enforcing facility rules and regulations and educating patrons about them
- Recognizing and responding quickly and effectively to all emergencies
- Administering first aid and CPR, including using an ARD and, of trained, administering emergency
oxygen when needed
- Working as a team with other lifeguards, facility staff, and management
Examples of secondary responsibilities that should never interfere with patron surveillance - Answers -
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
Characteristics of a professional lifeguard - Answers - Knowledgeable and skilled
- Reliable
- Mature
- Courteous and consistent
- Positive
- Professional
- Healthy and fit (exercise, eat/hydrate properly, rest adequately, protect yourself from sun exposure)
Legal considerations - Answers 1. Duty to Act
2. Standard of Care
,3. Negligence
4. Abandonment
5. Confidentiality
6. Documentation
7. Consent
8. Refusal of care
How to obtain consent - Answers 1. Name
2. Level of training
3. Ask if you may help
4. Explain that you would like to assess them to find out what you think may be wrong or what you can
do to help
5. Explain what you plan to do
Why is it important to attend a pre-season orientation and training? - Answers To ensure that lifeguards
understand their responsibilities and know how to perform their job, to get practice with their facility's
safety and rescue equipment and EAP, to ensure lifeguards understand codes, rules, and regulations of
the facility
1. EAP
2. Why is it important for lifeguards and other team members to understand and practice the EAP? -
Answers 1. Emergency Action Plan
2. You will learn how staff members work together in a variety of circumstances, gives teammates a
chance to work on different responder roles together, so everyone knows their responsibilities and can
perform them effectively
In-service training - Answers Takes place while you are employed as a lifeguard and is designed to help
you maintain your knowledge and skills at a professional level. It also gives you a chance to practice with
other lifeguards at your facility and help you efficiently respond as a team in an emergency
What is the best practice for the frequency of in-service training participation at well-managed aquatic
facilities? - Answers At least 4 hours of in-service training each month
Topics that could be discussed during in-service training - Answers Surveillance, recognition, water and
land rescue skills, emergency response drills, decision-making protocols, facility rules and regulations,
customer service, records and reports and physical conditioning
, Rescue tubes - Answers 45- to 54-inch vinyl, foam-filled tube with an attached tow line and shoulder
strap. Is capable of keeping multiple victims afloat
Resuscitation Masks - Answers Transparent, flexible device that creates a tight seal over the victim's
mouth and nose to allow you to breathe air into a victim without making mouth to mouth contact. All
masks should have a one-way valve for releasing exhaled air. Some masks also have an inlet for
administering emergency oxygen, and come in different sizes to ensure a proper fit and tight seal
Gloves - Answers Disposable (single-use) gloves are used to protect employees that may be exposed to
blood and other potentially infectious material (OPIM). Gloves should be made of non-latex materials,
such as nitrate. Gloves should also be powder free.
Whistle - Answers Important signaling devices for lifeguards, used to activate the EAP, and get attention
of other members of the safety team and patrons. Should be loud, made of material that will not rust,
and have breakaway lanyards
Backboard - Answers Standard piece of equipment to remove victims from the water when they are
unable to exit the water on their own or when they have a possible injury to the head, neck, or spine.
Some have runners on the bottom that allowed the board to slide easily onto a deck or pier. Must have
straps to secure a victim in cases of head, neck, or spinal injury, in addition to a device for immobilizing
the head
Rescue buoy - Answers Rescue can/torpedo buoy, primary piece of rescue equipment for waterfronts
and surf beaches. Made of lightweight, hard, buoyant plastic and vary in length from 25 to 34 inches.
Molded handgrips along the sides and rear of the buoy allow the victim to keep a firm hold on the buoy,
and are buoyant enough to support multiple victims
PPE - Answers Personal protective equipment- specialized clothing, equipment, and supplies used to
prevent you from coming into direct contact with a victim's bodily fluids. Gloves, resuscitation masks,
gowns, masks, shields, protective eyewear, and a blood spill kit.
BVM - Answers Bag valve mask resuscitator- Hand held device attached to a resuscitation mask that is
used to ventilate a victim in respiratory arrest or when performing CPR. Appropriate sized BVM should
be used based on the size of the victim, requires two rescuers: one to maintain a tight seal for the mask
and one to squeeze the bag
AED - Answers Automated external defibrillator- portable electronic device that analyzes the heart's
rhythm and can deliver an electrical shock, which helps the heart to re-establish an effective rhythm.
Used in conjunction for CPR on unconscious victims with no obvious signs of life
Other resuscitation equipment - Answers - oxygen cylinders and delivery devices
- suctioning devices
- airways
What is the primary responsibility of a lifeguard? - Answers To prevent drowning and other injuries from
occurring at their aquatic facility
Examples of fulfilling primary responsibilities - Answers - Monitoring activities in and near the water
through patron surveillance
- Preventing injuries by minimizing or eliminating hazardous behaviors
- Enforcing facility rules and regulations and educating patrons about them
- Recognizing and responding quickly and effectively to all emergencies
- Administering first aid and CPR, including using an ARD and, of trained, administering emergency
oxygen when needed
- Working as a team with other lifeguards, facility staff, and management
Examples of secondary responsibilities that should never interfere with patron surveillance - Answers -
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
Characteristics of a professional lifeguard - Answers - Knowledgeable and skilled
- Reliable
- Mature
- Courteous and consistent
- Positive
- Professional
- Healthy and fit (exercise, eat/hydrate properly, rest adequately, protect yourself from sun exposure)
Legal considerations - Answers 1. Duty to Act
2. Standard of Care
,3. Negligence
4. Abandonment
5. Confidentiality
6. Documentation
7. Consent
8. Refusal of care
How to obtain consent - Answers 1. Name
2. Level of training
3. Ask if you may help
4. Explain that you would like to assess them to find out what you think may be wrong or what you can
do to help
5. Explain what you plan to do
Why is it important to attend a pre-season orientation and training? - Answers To ensure that lifeguards
understand their responsibilities and know how to perform their job, to get practice with their facility's
safety and rescue equipment and EAP, to ensure lifeguards understand codes, rules, and regulations of
the facility
1. EAP
2. Why is it important for lifeguards and other team members to understand and practice the EAP? -
Answers 1. Emergency Action Plan
2. You will learn how staff members work together in a variety of circumstances, gives teammates a
chance to work on different responder roles together, so everyone knows their responsibilities and can
perform them effectively
In-service training - Answers Takes place while you are employed as a lifeguard and is designed to help
you maintain your knowledge and skills at a professional level. It also gives you a chance to practice with
other lifeguards at your facility and help you efficiently respond as a team in an emergency
What is the best practice for the frequency of in-service training participation at well-managed aquatic
facilities? - Answers At least 4 hours of in-service training each month
Topics that could be discussed during in-service training - Answers Surveillance, recognition, water and
land rescue skills, emergency response drills, decision-making protocols, facility rules and regulations,
customer service, records and reports and physical conditioning
, Rescue tubes - Answers 45- to 54-inch vinyl, foam-filled tube with an attached tow line and shoulder
strap. Is capable of keeping multiple victims afloat
Resuscitation Masks - Answers Transparent, flexible device that creates a tight seal over the victim's
mouth and nose to allow you to breathe air into a victim without making mouth to mouth contact. All
masks should have a one-way valve for releasing exhaled air. Some masks also have an inlet for
administering emergency oxygen, and come in different sizes to ensure a proper fit and tight seal
Gloves - Answers Disposable (single-use) gloves are used to protect employees that may be exposed to
blood and other potentially infectious material (OPIM). Gloves should be made of non-latex materials,
such as nitrate. Gloves should also be powder free.
Whistle - Answers Important signaling devices for lifeguards, used to activate the EAP, and get attention
of other members of the safety team and patrons. Should be loud, made of material that will not rust,
and have breakaway lanyards
Backboard - Answers Standard piece of equipment to remove victims from the water when they are
unable to exit the water on their own or when they have a possible injury to the head, neck, or spine.
Some have runners on the bottom that allowed the board to slide easily onto a deck or pier. Must have
straps to secure a victim in cases of head, neck, or spinal injury, in addition to a device for immobilizing
the head
Rescue buoy - Answers Rescue can/torpedo buoy, primary piece of rescue equipment for waterfronts
and surf beaches. Made of lightweight, hard, buoyant plastic and vary in length from 25 to 34 inches.
Molded handgrips along the sides and rear of the buoy allow the victim to keep a firm hold on the buoy,
and are buoyant enough to support multiple victims
PPE - Answers Personal protective equipment- specialized clothing, equipment, and supplies used to
prevent you from coming into direct contact with a victim's bodily fluids. Gloves, resuscitation masks,
gowns, masks, shields, protective eyewear, and a blood spill kit.
BVM - Answers Bag valve mask resuscitator- Hand held device attached to a resuscitation mask that is
used to ventilate a victim in respiratory arrest or when performing CPR. Appropriate sized BVM should
be used based on the size of the victim, requires two rescuers: one to maintain a tight seal for the mask
and one to squeeze the bag
AED - Answers Automated external defibrillator- portable electronic device that analyzes the heart's
rhythm and can deliver an electrical shock, which helps the heart to re-establish an effective rhythm.
Used in conjunction for CPR on unconscious victims with no obvious signs of life
Other resuscitation equipment - Answers - oxygen cylinders and delivery devices
- suctioning devices
- airways
