Speech to Inform
“Effective Lifeguarding”
SPT 1113
03VC – Oral Communications
Preparation Outline
Specific Purpose: To inform my audience of what the requirements are to be an effective lifeguard.
Central Idea: Lifeguarding is a significant job obtained upon completion of standard courses, recognition of responsibilities, and adequate knowledge and qualifications.
INTRODUCTION
I. In the summer of 2000, Barry Christner,
Abby Greiner, and Nickolas Peck received the
Lifesaving Award for the Professional Responder for performing an effective
rescue that included the retrieval and successful delivery of CPR to a
submerged victim.
II. You, the public, do not always take into consideration
the importance of proper lifeguard training.
III. So today I am going to share with you the aspects of lifeguarding that fit together to create a professional aquatics rescuer.
IV. I hope that you will learn to appreciate lifeguards such
as myself who spend hours upon hours in the hot sun, day after day, to ensure
your safety as a patron by finding out what course requirements the lifeguard
completes, the responsibilities of a lifeguard, and the characteristics of a
professional lifeguard.
(Transition: Let’s first look at the course requirements a
lifeguard must complete.)
BODY
I. Lifeguards must pass both written and physical exams in
both aquatics and CPR.
A. Each
candidate taking a lifeguard course must complete both a written exam and
physical exam in aquatics.
1.
There are 4 divisions in the physical aquatics lifesaving requirements.
a. 500 yard swim
b. 20 yard swim with a surface dive to retrieve a 10 lb.
object and return to starting point
c. 2 minutes of treading water without arm movement
d. victim retrieval lifesaving skills
2.
The written aquatics exam must be completed with a passing grade.
B. One example
of these life-saving skills is retrieving a victim with possible spinal
injuries using in-line stabilization skills, as indicated in the American
Red Cross Lifeguard Training book.
C. Each
candidate taking a lifeguard course must complete a written and physical exam
in CPR.
1.Bob Hlebinsky at
2.
One save at Mr.
3.
Immediate attention from lifeguards can help save lives that might not have
been spared because of delay of advanced medical care.
(Transition: Now let’s move on to the sorts of
responsibilities of a lifeguard.)
II. Lifeguarding is full of
responsibilities.
A.
Lifeguards must hold fast to their responsibilities despite long, hot, stressful days and
enormous crowds.
1.
Following are 4 examples of responsibilities noted by the American Red Cross
Lifeguard Training book.
a.
Communication with patrons and co-workers
b.
Recognizing and responding to emergencies
c.
Enforcing Rules
d.
Administering proper first aid care
2.
All of these responsibilities combined create a professional appearance in a
lifeguard.
B.
Lifeguards on duty know , for example, “that even a
brief attention lapse on their part can mean death to a swimmer who has slipped
to the bottom of a crowded
pool” as quoted by Linda Fuoco at the Post Gazette.
C. Heavy responsibility
is placed on individual accepting the position of a lifeguard, who is usually
high school or college students.
D.
Lifeguards may use their job as a learning and development period for benefits
as mentioned by the Cape Cod Red Cross division:
1.Ability and initiative to address and solve problems
effectively
2.
Decision-making skills
3.
People-management skills
4.
Professional attitude and appearance
5.
Leadership and motivation skills
(Transition: Finally, a lifeguard must also meet certain
qualifications. Let’s take a look.)
III. To be a lifeguard, you must not only be able to simply
pass the written and physical exams,
but you must also have other characteristics that qualify you to be considered a professional lifeguard.
A. For
example, a lifeguard may be completely courteous and one of the top-notch
guards in life-saving skills, but if they are not at work, or there on time, then
they cannot be considered reliable by their employer or co-workers.
B. Some
examples of significant qualifications are reliability, maturity, courteousy, consistency, professionalism, health, and
fitness.
C. Some
qualifications may be developed and improved with experience, such as people
skills and leadership skills, but lifeguarding candidate
must first possess
the potential and willingness for improvement.
D. Fuoco states that “the job is not for the faint of
heart of the unfit of body”.
(Transition: Now you know the importance of lifeguarding and what comes with the job.)
CONCLUSION
I. In closing, I would like to ask you if you still think
that a lifeguard’s job is a simply a summer job for any high school or college
student?
II. Lifeguards not only must have certain qualifications,
but they also carry a load of
responsibilities with the job upon completion of standard
requirements.
III. Consider Barry, Nickolas, and Abby who used their
training in CPR, as lifeguards, to save a young boy who would probably have
died without their care.
IV. Lifeguarding may appear to be
a simple relaxing summer job, but in actuality it is stressful mentally and
physically.
V. Thank you for your time and please do appreciate those “bronzed boys and girls of summer” (as Fuoco puts it) whom you entrust your life.
American Red Cross. Lifeguard Training.
American Red Cross of
2004: MSN
Search Engine 2001 <http://www.capecodredcross.org/jobs.html.>
Fuoco, Linda W. “Lifeguarding looks Glam, But Reality Can Be Something
Else.” Post
Gazette . 22 May 2003: MSN Search Engine.
< http://www.post-gazette.com/neigh_west/20030522wgnards0522p5.asp.>
Ripley, Kristine. “Everyday Heroes: Lifeguards Rule!” Health
and Safety Services
(American Red
Cross) 2000: MSN Search Engine.
<http://www.redcross.org/services/nss/notes/lifgrd.html.>
Engine.
<http://www.tucsonredcross.org/ClassesTraining/lifeguarding.Faqs.html.>
INTRO
SMILE
I. Written & physical
exams in aquatics & CPR
KEEP SMILING! ! !
- reliability
Fuoco puts it) whom you entrust your life.
SMILE AND THANKS!