TRUMAN: What does it take to become a lifeguard?

BROWN: To become a Lifeguard II for the City of San Diego, you must first become a Lifeguard I. (A lifeguard I is called a ‘Seasonal Lifeguard.’ That means you work mostly just in the summertime. A Lifeguard II is called a ‘Permanent Lifeguard,’ which means you work year round, as a lifeguard and a peace officer.) To become a Lifeguard I, you must pass the minimum initial test of a 500-meter swim in under 10 minutes, and a one-mile run in under eight minutes. After that, you go through an 80-hour ‘academy,’ which consists of eight 10-hour days full of lectures, running, swimming and racing the other people in your academy. To become a Lifeguard II, you go through an advanced academy,’ which is basically six weeks of training. Most people who are permanent lifeguards work about five to 10 years as a seasonal first. To become a lifeguard, you must be in very good physical shape. You should be familiar with the currents and waves in the ocean. A lot of lifeguards have been competitive swimmers or 
involved in other aquatic sports, like 
water polo or surfing.

To be a permanent lifeguard, you don’t have to have a college education, but it is highly encouraged and gives you a much better chance of getting the job. Personal qualities that are valued in the lifeguard service are integrity, initiative, and willingness to cooperate and serve the public. As a lifeguard, you have to be part of a team. No one can do this job alone — we rely on each other to keep the public safe and happy. When a lifeguard makes a rescue, there are many other lifeguards watching and ready to help out. Initiative is a very important quality to have as a lifeguard. If someone in the water needs help, the lifeguard must make a decision on their own right away – they don’t have a lot of time to think about what to do. They must make that decision independently.

TRUMAN: When and why did you first become interested in lifeguarding?

BROWN: I have always loved the water. My parents called me a ‘little fish’ when I was younger — and I never wanted to get out of the pool or come home from the beach. I first became interested in lifeguarding when I was about 17 years old. I was on the swim team at school, and it made such a big impact on my life that I wanted to teach other people how to swim. So, I went to the Red Cross and got certified in Pool Lifeguarding and teaching swim lessons. When I was 20, I realized that I could work at the beach and make an even bigger impact on peoples’ lives. I worked really hard and got the job — and not only was it fun and rewarding, but it really helped me pay for college.

TRUMAN: Are there different types of lifeguards?

BROWN: Yes, there are different kinds of lifeguards. Lifeguards have to be certified in basic first aid and lifeguard skills, but those requirements vary depending on what kind of lifeguard you are. First, there are lifeguards that are certified to work at pools. Second, there are lifeguards certified to work in ‘open water.’ That means you can work in lakes or rivers. Finally, there are ‘ocean lifeguards,’ which work at ocean beaches. I am an ocean lifeguard.

TRUMAN: What’s a typical day like as a lifeguard?

BROWN: A typical day on the job? It changes every day. An average weekend day at the beach I work is very busy! It starts by ‘setting up the beach.’ That is when we bring the lifeguard trucks and the jet ski out and make sure they are ready to respond to emergencies. We also set up ‘emergency accesses’ — to make sure that even when there are thousands of people at the beach, we still have room to get through the crowds safely with our trucks. The rest of the day is all about making a lot of warnings. We do what is called ‘preventative lifeguarding,’ where we warn people about dangerous rip currents, or other unsafe areas. Even though we do this, there are still a lot of rescues to be made! Along with people rescues, sometimes we help boats and jet skis that get in trouble at the beach. Any time there is a medical emergency, we respond. Sometimes it’s a skinned knee from a fall, or a broken leg or even things like a heart attack! We also find a lot of lost children every day. We keep them safe at our lifeguard 
towers and find their parents for them. As the day ends, we shut down our 
towers, wash our trucks, and restock our first aid supplies to get ready for the next day.

TRUMAN: What’s the hardest part of your job?

BROWN: The hardest part of my job is dealing with a drowned person. Even though lifeguards do everything they can to save someone, sometimes people still drown. It is very difficult to be in a 
situation like that. Most of the time, the person has drowned in an area where there are no lifeguards. That is why we always tell people to ‘swim near a 
lifeguard!’

TRUMAN: Well, what’s the best part of your job?

BROWN: The best part of my job is saving someone’s life! When you go home at the end of a busy day — when you are wet and tired and sandy — you think about the child you returned to his parents. Or the father you returned to his children. That makes the job worthwhile.

TRUMAN: Have you ever had to save someone from a shark?

BROWN: No, I have never had to rescue anyone from a shark. Although the ocean is their home, sharks usually like to stay very far away from people.

TRUMAN: I know it’s not good to be in the sun too much, and the heat can be dangerous. How do you protect yourself?

BROWN: Because lifeguards are exposed to the sun and the reflection of the sun off of the sand and water, we take extra precautions every day to protect ourselves. Unless we are actually in the water helping someone, we make sure to keep our uniform on over our bathing suits. Usually I wear a long sleeved turtleneck. I also wear a lot of sunscreen, and I put it on every few hours. All lifeguards also wear hats whenever we are outside. As far as the heat, living in San Diego, we are lucky enough to enjoy a cool breeze off the ocean. When you make a lot of rescues and are wet all day, sometimes it’s hard to stay warm — even when it’s hot out!

TRUMAN: What advice do you have for kids who are interested in lifeguarding?

BROWN: The best advice I can give to kids interested in becoming a lifeguard is to start swimming! Lots of pools have swim teams. You don’t have to be a good 
swimmer to join a swim team – that is how you become a good swimmer! Take a CPR or a first aid class. You are never too young to learn how to help other people.

TRUMAN: Thank you so much for talking with us about lifeguarding. You have a tough job, but it sounds as though it can be very rewarding also. Have a great 
summer and stay safe! Read more at www.kidsvillenews.com.