Lifeguard contest more than a game

Caitlin Hudgins

Friday, July 30, 2004 | 4:19 a.m.

WEEKEND EDITION

July 31 - Aug. 1, 2004

Lifeguarding looks like the perfect job: Those on the pool payroll seem to spend their days gazing at half-naked bodies from behind Hollywood sunglasses, sipping from a cool drink with a miniature paper umbrella sticking out of the top and lounging on a lofty chair waiting for a tan to develop.

But it only looks that easy.

In reality, a lifeguard's job is nearly as challenging as a paramedic's, doctor's or nurse's job, according to Las Vegas Leisure Services Department spokeswoman Margaret Kurtz.

All lifeguards must go through 32 hours of American Red Cross training to become certified, Aquatics Field Supervisor Mary Killion said.

"They (people) don't understand the amount of training that's required and the amount of judgment that's required," she said.

To prove that they have the skills to do more than just have fun in the sun, 22 teams of lifeguards from city and county recreation departments, nonprofit organizations and private corporations will compete from 7 to 9 p.m. today at the Lifeguard Games at Baker Pool, 1100 E. St. Louis Ave. There's no charge to be a spectator.

Las Vegas Municipal Pool recreation leader Scott Lackey said the competition lets the team members compare their skills to those of other lifeguards'.

"It's a learning experience," he said. "It lets them know where they stand."

Hosted by the Nevada Recreation and Parks Society Aquatics Committee, the competition gives the eight-member teams the chance to win plaques and prizes -- and bragging rights.

"They get a lot of pride out of having good skills," Killion said.

The teams will compete in five events. In addition to the Cardiac Relay, the Rescue Tube Relay, the Spinal Injury Management Scenario and the Chain Relay, there will be a final Fun Relay that is a surprise, but officials hint it may involve adding or removing various clothing articles while swimming.

Nancy Hruska, 24, said the relays reinforce her job training. After growing up by the ocean, serving as a junior lifeguard at the beach and joining swim teams as a teenager, she now works as a pool manager at the Municipal Pool, 431 E. Bonanza Road. As a member of the Las Vegas team, she is eager to hone her skills.

"We (lifeguards) are always looking for new ways to challenge ourselves," Hruska said.

But while the relays test technical abilities, Killion said lifeguards must also have good customer service skills.

"They have to intervene when people exhibit behavior that's unsafe," she said. "They have the ability to stop an accident before it happens."

Crisis prevention not only saves swimmers, but also protects lifeguards, Leonardo Escobedo, a 17-year-old member of the Las Vegas team, said.

"Prevention is really important because then we don't have to risk our own lives to rescue someone," he said.

If an emergency does occur, lifeguards are the first to respond to the problem, Killion said.

"Something (lifeguards do) in the first five minutes can really make a difference for survival," she said.

Being a first responder is a hard part of the job, Escobedo said, but it's what lifeguards are trained to do.

"You have to be there when it's crunch time," he said.

But even after lifeguards have developed swimming, customer service and first-responder skills, the training doesn't stop once they are ready to hit the water, Hruska said.

"You learn a lot about yourself, your peers -- you find out things you're capable of you'd never imagine," she said.

The Las Vegas team won the Lifeguard Games three years ago, and Lackey is confident that this year's group has a good shot at the championship.

Members have been practicing twice a week -- starting at 8 a.m. -- to prepare, but even if they don't win, Lackey said the games are a good opportunity for lifeguards to improve their techniques.

"It gives the kids time to practice their skills," he said. "It's a fun environment for the group to work together."