YMCA lifeguards refresh skills at Aquapalooza
May 20, 2020
Lifeguards from eight Ozark Regional YMCAs practice backboard rescue techniques in Monett’s indoor pool during Aquapalooza, an annual training event for area YMCA lifeguards.
Sheila Harris
Lifeguards from eight Ozarks Regional YMCAs gathered Saturday, May 16, at the Monett Y’s indoor pool for training. The event, called “Aquapalooza,” included review and practice of life-saving techniques for the 80-plus lifeguards who attended from facilities located in Bolivar, Lebanon, Hollister, Springfield, Monett, Cassville and Camp Wakonda, near Ash Grove.
“Aquapalooza is an annual training program for all of our lifeguards,” Erin Shaw, YMCA Chief Operations Officer, said. “This is our sixth year to conduct it in Monett. We’ve had this one scheduled since February, right before COVID-19 broke out. We weren’t sure if we would be able to go ahead with it, or if we would need to postpone. When the county opened back up, we decided to hold it as planned, in anticipation of a June 1 pool-opening date.”
Shaw emphasized the June 1 pool-opening date is still subject to change, though.
“It will depend,” she said, “on whether we see an increase in cases of COVID-19 between now and then.”
During Aquapalooza, life guards were divided into five groups, which rotated between different instructors, who reinforced different skill sets.
The community room featured “customer relation skills,” as Shaw put it.
“When working in a pool setting, there are rules that need to be followed,” Shaw said, “and, occasionally, there are those who don’t want to follow them. We want to teach our lifeguards to be assertive when necessary, while remaining tactful.”
CPR classes were taught in the gym, where dummies of children, adults and infants with inflatable “airways” were used for practice purposes.
Instructor Charles LaGarce emphasized to trainees, “It’s better to do something than do nothing when it comes to saving a life. Even if you don’t blow your breath or make chest compressions the correct amount of times, it’s important to at least try.”
Three different areas of training were conducted in the pool itself.
Practice with the use of a restraining backboard was the most dramatic to observe.
“A backboard,” Shaw said, “is used if a person has sustained a possible spinal or head injury, or if they’re experiencing a seizure. A backboard can be inserted below a prostrate victim to support the body and immobilize the head. It allows a lifeguard – even a small one – to pull the victim to the side of the pool.”
For deepwater rescue practice, swimmers were trained to position a pool noodle below a prospective drowning victim to pull them to safety.
In swimming and lifeguard-readiness training, lifeguards identified signs of swimmers in distress, then demonstrated their ability to go to assist them.
Lifeguards also practiced a “live-drowning drill” in conjunction with Monett emergency responders. A call from the pool was put in to 9-1-1, and paramedics arrived on the scene to provide medical assistance and transport the “victim.”
Cassville YMCA director, Rick Ragsdale, said swimmers must be certified lifeguards in order to attend Aquapalooza.
“We had a lot of local lifeguards hurrying to become certified last week, so they could participate in Aquapalooza,” he said.
Lifeguard certification consists of a 25-hour program, which must be repeated every two years.
According to Erin Shaw, most lifeguards who are employed by the Y continue until they leave for college or enter the fulltime work force.
Cassville’s and Monett’s YMCAs are currently open with the following limited hours of operation:
Cassville
• Monday - Friday, 6 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 4 - 8 p.m.
• Saturday and Sunday, closed
Monett
• Monday - Friday, 6 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 3 - 8 p.m.
• Saturday, 7 a.m. - 2 p.m.
The pool is closed until June 1 or after.
Lifeguards from eight Ozarks Regional YMCAs gathered Saturday, May 16, at the Monett Y’s indoor pool for training. The event, called “Aquapalooza,” included review and practice of life-saving techniques for the 80-plus lifeguards who attended from facilities located in Bolivar, Lebanon, Hollister, Springfield, Monett, Cassville and Camp Wakonda, near Ash Grove.
“Aquapalooza is an annual training program for all of our lifeguards,” Erin Shaw, YMCA Chief Operations Officer, said. “This is our sixth year to conduct it in Monett. We’ve had this one scheduled since February, right before COVID-19 broke out. We weren’t sure if we would be able to go ahead with it, or if we would need to postpone. When the county opened back up, we decided to hold it as planned, in anticipation of a June 1 pool-opening date.”
Shaw emphasized the June 1 pool-opening date is still subject to change, though.
“It will depend,” she said, “on whether we see an increase in cases of COVID-19 between now and then.”
During Aquapalooza, life guards were divided into five groups, which rotated between different instructors, who reinforced different skill sets.
The community room featured “customer relation skills,” as Shaw put it.
“When working in a pool setting, there are rules that need to be followed,” Shaw said, “and, occasionally, there are those who don’t want to follow them. We want to teach our lifeguards to be assertive when necessary, while remaining tactful.”
CPR classes were taught in the gym, where dummies of children, adults and infants with inflatable “airways” were used for practice purposes.
Instructor Charles LaGarce emphasized to trainees, “It’s better to do something than do nothing when it comes to saving a life. Even if you don’t blow your breath or make chest compressions the correct amount of times, it’s important to at least try.”
Three different areas of training were conducted in the pool itself.
Practice with the use of a restraining backboard was the most dramatic to observe.
“A backboard,” Shaw said, “is used if a person has sustained a possible spinal or head injury, or if they’re experiencing a seizure. A backboard can be inserted below a prostrate victim to support the body and immobilize the head. It allows a lifeguard – even a small one – to pull the victim to the side of the pool.”
For deepwater rescue practice, swimmers were trained to position a pool noodle below a prospective drowning victim to pull them to safety.
In swimming and lifeguard-readiness training, lifeguards identified signs of swimmers in distress, then demonstrated their ability to go to assist them.
Lifeguards also practiced a “live-drowning drill” in conjunction with Monett emergency responders. A call from the pool was put in to 9-1-1, and paramedics arrived on the scene to provide medical assistance and transport the “victim.”
Cassville YMCA director, Rick Ragsdale, said swimmers must be certified lifeguards in order to attend Aquapalooza.
“We had a lot of local lifeguards hurrying to become certified last week, so they could participate in Aquapalooza,” he said.
Lifeguard certification consists of a 25-hour program, which must be repeated every two years.
According to Erin Shaw, most lifeguards who are employed by the Y continue until they leave for college or enter the fulltime work force.
Cassville’s and Monett’s YMCAs are currently open with the following limited hours of operation:
Cassville
• Monday - Friday, 6 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 4 - 8 p.m.
• Saturday and Sunday, closed
Monett
• Monday - Friday, 6 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 3 - 8 p.m.
• Saturday, 7 a.m. - 2 p.m.
The pool is closed until June 1 or after.
Monett YMCA pool director, Charles LaGarce, assists with CPR
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Lifeguards practice deep water rescue.
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