93 SPONSORED BY PREMIER NOSS ON DART
WHAT IT TAKES TO BECOME A RNLI LIFEGUARD
Around the end of March each year, induction training starts for our local RNLI lifeguards who will be working during the Easter period until the end of October. Before they can start training, provided they have an in-date qualification, they are all required to complete a fitness test which is based on swim, run and rescue fitness. They were tested in the Kingsbridge swimming pool where they had to complete 400m (16 lengths) in under 7½ mins, of which 200m must be completed in 3½ mins Most of our lifeguards complete this with no problems. A short rest later and they are required to swim 25m subsurface and 25m on the surface in under 50 seconds. We then headed down to the beach where they completed a 200m sprint which has to be completed in under 45 seconds. Now that the key fitness elements had been covered, they had to demonstrate their core lifeguard skills, which involves rescuing an unconscious casualty on a
rescue board, showing that they remember the lifeguard flag signals and some basic first aid. As part of their training, prior
to being posted on the beach, the RNLI has mandatory health and safety units to complete, along with other units including
“They were tested in the Kingsbridge swimming pool where they had to complete 400m (16 engths) in under 71
/2 minutes”
standard prior to ambulance and hospital care. The Lifeguards also work with other emergency services. On 31st
of March our lifeguards
media, personal safety, and risk management. The team will also be trained in the use of the RNLI’s 4-wheel drive all-terrain vehicles for use on the beach, and also trained on the RNLI inshore rescue boats. There is a three-day casualty care course designed to allow our lifeguards to be able to respond and treat all casualties to a high
brought two Inshore rescue boats down to Dartmouth where they conducted boat handling training in the river Dart during the morning. After lunch the Dart RNLI lifeboat crew joined them to complete a joint training exercise for transferring a casualty between the boats. The crew and lifeguards met in the lifeboat station on Coronation Park for a joint briefing and then the two lifeguard rescue boats and Dart’s B class lifeboat made their way down the river to complete casualty transfers at the mouth of the river. This involved making sure both boats had clear communication while matching boat direction and speed. They were then gently driven together to create a stable platform to be able to safety transfer a full sized manikin across for the exercise. This was completed numerous
Dart RNLI lifeboat crew and the RNLI lifeguards under training
Dart RNLI B class lifeboat exercising with a Lifeguard inshore rescue boat
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116
