Skills-based Training
SWIMMING LESSONS
Learning to swim is like a vaccine against drowning. One major study showed a 93% reduction in drowning deaths in older children who have learned basic swim survival skills.
Chicago Public Schools is continuing to strengthen their aquatic programs, including creating a supply funnel of potential lifeguards for Chicago Park District, with the addition of semester-long American Red Cross lifeguarding classes.
Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago has 5 pools and is providing lessons for children 5-18 with 8 hours of water programming.
Sigma Gamma Rho works with Chicago Park District to sponsor swimming lessons at Ellis Park.
LIFEGUARDS
Your chance of drowning where a lifeguard is on duty is only 1 in 18 million. Lifeguard shortages exist nationally. Organizations in Chicago are aggressively working together to build a pipeline of qualified candidates.
Chicago Park District confirmed best practices through a nationwide survey of lifeguard hours and staffing, and is building it’s lifeguard workforce by adding more lifeguard classes, expanding opportunities to take certification tests, and creating partnerships to recruit guards from throughout the city. The Park District is partnering with After School Matters for water safety education, and has 200 potential lifeguard candidates in the program.
Chicago Public Schools certified all P.E. teachers who teach aquatics in American Red Cross Lifeguard training.
Chicago Public Schools added semester-long American Red Cross lifeguarding classes.
Chicago Park District has extended training to expand the number of female lifeguard candidates.
Chicago Park District is working with Lurie Children’s Hospital to extend key lifeguard training to include Emergency medical Response Certification.
National Weather Service will provide rip current training for lifeguards.
CPR TRAINING
For every child who dies from drowning, 5 end up in the emergency room, with half requiring in-hospital treatment. Permanent brain damage is a common outcome from a non-fatal drowning injury. CPR at the scene, with rescue breaths, is critical in avoiding death and brain damage.
Chicago Public Schools is in compliance with Lauren’s Law, which requires all high school students in Illinois to receive instruction on how to properly administer hands-only CPR and how to use an AED. CPR/AED instruction is built into the 9th grade Health Education curriculum. Chicago Public School is also in the process of updating their student travel guidelines and the water policy letter to ensure students and staff are made aware of the risks of entering water.
Chicago Park District provides CPR training for residents.
Photo courtesy of Chicago Public Schools