Connie Harvey is director of Aquatics Centennial Initiatives for the American Red Cross. She is a former lifeguard and Red Cross Water Safety Instructor Trainer. She also sits on the steering committee for the development of the U.S. National Water Safety Action Plan.
Amid concerns that the pandemic has caused a setback in water safety, the aquatics community can take steps to get us back on course.
The American Red Cross is making a number of changes to update its health and safety offerings, and to transform its aquatics and other life-saving programs to deliver stronger courses more consistently across the country.
CPR training is an essential component of any comprehensive lifeguard training program. However, even with quality comprehensive initial training, research indicates that CPR skills decline quickly
At one point in time, lifeguard training courses fulfilled the majority of needs for most aquatics programs.