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David Kohler
How do I become a lifeguard?
Are you interested in training to become a lifeguard? We inform you here about training opportunities, requirements and costs. We also spoke with Clemens Menge from the DLRG Konstanz. In the interview, Clemens talks about his training as a lifeguard and why volunteer lifeguards are so important.
First of all, being a lifeguard does not mean lying on the beach all day and getting paid for it. Rather, it is a strenuous job, because the lifeguard bears responsibility and must constantly keep a close eye on what is happening in the bathing area. Only in this way can they quickly recognise an emergency situation and react accordingly.
Wikipedia says: Officially, lifeguards are trained persons who have been taught, tested and certified with a certificate to recognise, understand and act in the event of accidents in and on the water.
Who trains lifeguards in Germany?
Lifeguard training is offered by 3 organisations in Germany.
1. German Life Saving Society(DLRG)
2. Water Rescue Service of the German Red Cross(DRK)
3. Water Rescue Service of the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund(ASB)
The DLRG counts the training of lifeguards among its core tasks. From 1950 to 2018, the DLRG has conducted over four and a half million lifeguard examinations.
What does lifeguard training involve?
The training to become a lifeguard is uniformly regulated in Germany. It comprises a practical and theoretical part and an examination must be taken in both areas after completion of the training course.
There are three levels of lifeguard training that build on each other:
1. Bronze
2. Silver
3. Gold
The training for lifeguard bronze can already be completed at the age of 12. For the silver badge, the minimum age is 14 years, and for gold you have to be 16 years old.
Depending on the colour of the lifeguard badge , it entitles the holder to perform certain activities and take on tasks in and around water. For example, to work as a lifeguard in a swimming pool, the silver lifeguard badge is mandatory. All active rescuers have to refresh their knowledge every two years and take the test again. The so-called Run-Swim-Run takes place every year before the start of each mission.
Here, the DLRG provides detailed information on the various DLRG lifeguard training courses and their examination services.
Detailed information about the courses offered for lifeguards in your region is provided by the local DLRG groups. You can find the districts for the six largest cities right here:
What are the requirements for training as a lifeguard?
In addition to the minimum age for the respective badge, a certain basic fitness and good swimming performance are advantageous. For the lifeguard silver and gold badges, proof of first aid training must also be presented.
RESTUBE in conversation with Clemens Menge, volunteer DLRG lifeguard
Restube: You successfully completed your lifeguard training a long time ago. Please tell us how that came about and what motivated you to do it?
Clemens: I grew up in the DLRG Konstanz, on the one hand it was the logical consequence of the training and on the other hand you were "hot" to get your "Bronze Eagle" and after that all the others.
Restube: Where did you become a lifeguard and who exactly trained you?
Clemens: I was trained in the DLRG in Konstanz.
Restube: Can you briefly describe the DLRG lifeguard training programme? How long does it last? What does it include?
Clemens: In my time, the training consisted of 12 weeks of training and theory. Today it's split up, it's still 12 weeks of training in the pool and 2 weekends of theory. On the one hand, this included lifeguard theory, dangers in the water, ice accidents, self-rescue, handling rescue equipment, external rescue, and on the other hand a first aid course.
Restube: Do you need any special qualifications to become a lifeguard? Is a certain physical fitness necessary (is it even tested?), or do you need other previous knowledge?
Clemens: You don't need any previous experience to become a lifeguard. All the necessary knowledge is imparted to you during training. You also acquire the necessary physical fitness and swimming skills through the training. Depending on the situation, it simply takes a little longer. Both theory and practice, and thus fitness, are part of the final exam.
Restube: Lifeguards often work on a voluntary basis. What about the cost of lifeguard training?
Clemens: Here in Constance, you have to pay for the first lifeguard badge. That's currently 90 euros. If you are active in our association after that, we take over all further costs of subsequent training. However, each DLRG group regulates this individually.
Restube: According to statistics (WHO, DRLG, etc.), drowning is one of the most frequent causes of accidents worldwide and the number of accidents is also significantly high at the national level. What is your assessment of the development in the area of "safe bathing"? Have you made any observations yourself?
Clemens: Well, what we perceive is that the attention of the guardians is declining and generally the awareness of danger is decreasing.
Restube: Water sports enthusiasts of all kinds trust Restube (link down) and use the Restube buoy as their safety back-up. Are athletes more aware of the dangers in the water? Or do you think "normal bathers" underestimate the risks?
Clemens: That's a good question. Experienced swimmers and water sports enthusiasts are well aware of the dangers and more and more we see safety systems like Restube being used. However, we notice that many bathers are not aware of the dangers at all or only very little. Especially tourists who are used to swimming in a pool often underestimate the lake.
Restube: Do you have a final tip for anyone who wants to become a lifeguard?
Clemens: I would like to answer this question with a quote from Walt Disney: "All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them".
Restube: Thank you very much Clemens!
Many lifeguards on duty - but not enough?
According to the DLRG, about 50,000 lifeguards are on duty throughout the year. Nevertheless, there is a lack of volunteers in many places and some pools cannot even open as usual because of the lack of supervision.
Drowning is a worldwide problem. That further improvement of water safety, for example by increasing the number of lifeguards on duty, also makes sense in Germany is shown by the many fatal accidents. Last year, at least 417 people drowned in Germany. "Rivers, lakes or canals are still the greatest sources of danger. Only comparatively few water points are guarded by lifeguards. The risk of drowning there is therefore many times higher than on coasts or in swimming pools," says Achim Haag, President of the Water Rescuers, describing the dangerous situation.
RESTUBE - The airbag for water
Helping others in an emergency situation is the greatest motivation for lifeguards. And yet, the best mission of any professional rescuer is the one that does not happen at all. Every individual is therefore called upon to avoid accidents and to increase self-protection with appropriate measures and means.
The greatest safety is not to go into the water if you are not completely sure, the weather is changing or, for example, strong currents are known. A useful tool for more safety in the water is Restube. This is because Restube provides additional buoyancy in seconds when it is needed. One pull of the trigger is enough and the Restube buoy inflates by means of a CO2 cartridge.
Additional buoyancy defuses most critical situations immediately. If you lean over the buoy, your head is above water and your airways are clear. This relaxes, gives you time to recharge your batteries, find your bearings, rest and, if possible, swim yourself back to shore. The yellow colour and elongated shape of the Restube buoy can also help draw attention to you by waving it.
Restube packs extremely small when not deployed and weighs only about 200g. Attached to a belt around the waist or directly to the equipment, Restube is not noticeable and can be carried during all activities in and around the water.
More and more lifeguards are using the classic restube as an add-on for their rescue equipment - to have extra buoyancy with them in case of emergency. Sometimes several people are in danger in the same place. For example, if the child has a problem, the mother wants to help him and then the father swims after him because the current was stronger than expected. Then it can be tight with only one life buoy.
Restube lifeguard - in use worldwide by professional lifeguards
The SLRG (Swiss lifesaving society), parts of the DLRG and Wasserwacht independently approached RESTUBE with the idea of a professional version. After two years of development based on the Restube technology, Restube lifeguard, a special product from RESTUBE for trained professional rescuers, has been available since 2016. The buoy of the RESTUBE lifeguard has the same buoyancy of 75N as the normal Restube, it has a complete pulling system and 2 bending points, so that it can be very easily placed around the body of the casualty and fastened by means of 4 eyes with carabiners. Today, more than 6,000 Restube lifeguards are in daily and successful use and support lifeguards worldwide in their work.
Christopher Fuhrhop, founder and CEO of RESTUBE: "The trust of water rescuers in our technology, thousands of successful missions and more and more reports of saved lives from all over the world motivate us a lot! One of the professional testers described the Restube idea very aptly: "The most effective safety system is the one you really always have with you." Under this motto, we continue to give our all to keep improving Restube."
