Red Cross Lifeguarding
American Red Cross Lifeguarding Written
Exam Questions And Answers
What is the primary responsibility of a lifeguard? - ANS ✔✔ - to prevent drowning and other injuries
from occurring at your aquatic facility.
Provide three examples of how lifeguards fulfill their primary responsibility - ANS ✔✔ - monitoring
activities in and near the water through patron servaliance, 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 air 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
serveillance - ANS ✔✔ - 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 - ANS ✔✔ - knowledgeable and skilled, reliable, mature,
courteous and consistent, positive, professional, healthy and fit
Lifeguards should: - ANS ✔✔ - 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? - ANS ✔✔ - negligence
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, Red Cross Lifeguarding
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 - ANS ✔✔ - 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? - ANS ✔✔ - (2 years.) Annual certification training.
Why is it important to attend a pre-season orientation and training - ANS ✔✔ - 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 - ANS ✔✔ - emergency action plan
Why is it important for lifeguards and other team members to understand and practice the EAP - ANS
✔✔ - 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 - ANS ✔✔ - at least. Hours of in service training each month
What are the benefits of regular, frequent in-service training - ANS ✔✔ - 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 - ANS ✔✔ - 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 - ANS ✔✔ - resuscitation
mask and gloves. (may also include gowns, masks, shields, protective eyewear)
2
, Red Cross Lifeguarding
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 - ANS ✔✔ - 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 - ANS ✔✔ - 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? - ANS ✔✔ - consistently enforcing your facilities rules and
regulations
List 5 common rules and regulations often posted at an aquatic facility - ANS ✔✔ - swim only when a
lifeguard is on duty, swim diapers are required for small children or people with incontience, 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 - ANS ✔✔ - 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 -
ANS ✔✔ - 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
3
American Red Cross Lifeguarding Written
Exam Questions And Answers
What is the primary responsibility of a lifeguard? - ANS ✔✔ - to prevent drowning and other injuries
from occurring at your aquatic facility.
Provide three examples of how lifeguards fulfill their primary responsibility - ANS ✔✔ - monitoring
activities in and near the water through patron servaliance, 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 air 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
serveillance - ANS ✔✔ - 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 - ANS ✔✔ - knowledgeable and skilled, reliable, mature,
courteous and consistent, positive, professional, healthy and fit
Lifeguards should: - ANS ✔✔ - 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? - ANS ✔✔ - negligence
1
, Red Cross Lifeguarding
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 - ANS ✔✔ - 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? - ANS ✔✔ - (2 years.) Annual certification training.
Why is it important to attend a pre-season orientation and training - ANS ✔✔ - 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 - ANS ✔✔ - emergency action plan
Why is it important for lifeguards and other team members to understand and practice the EAP - ANS
✔✔ - 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 - ANS ✔✔ - at least. Hours of in service training each month
What are the benefits of regular, frequent in-service training - ANS ✔✔ - 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 - ANS ✔✔ - 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 - ANS ✔✔ - resuscitation
mask and gloves. (may also include gowns, masks, shields, protective eyewear)
2
, Red Cross Lifeguarding
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 - ANS ✔✔ - 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 - ANS ✔✔ - 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? - ANS ✔✔ - consistently enforcing your facilities rules and
regulations
List 5 common rules and regulations often posted at an aquatic facility - ANS ✔✔ - swim only when a
lifeguard is on duty, swim diapers are required for small children or people with incontience, 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 - ANS ✔✔ - 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 -
ANS ✔✔ - 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
3
