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Vigilance Voice
Achieving Effective Lifeguard Scanning
First Things First
*Size of zone
*Number of people in zone
*Determine problem areas in each zone
*Can you overlap problem areas with more than one zone?
*Can you clearly see the bottom and the surface in all areas of your zone?
Vigilance Voice Goals
Develop a habit of constantly watching all areas of any given zone.
Ensure that the guards are looking for what we want them to see.
Enable Lifeguards to more easily recognize abnormal swimming behavior.
Who Can Do It?
YOU!!
Head guards that you know, trust, and have listened to yourself.
Now The Scary Part
Approach a Guard on stand and position yourself where you will be able to clearly hear them talk, but will not impede the
view.
Tell the guard to verbally tell you what they are seeing.
More times than not, you will be surprised at what the guard is or isn’t seeing.
Things To Listen For
Is the guard:
*Watching empty areas of the pool?
*Scanning the bottom of the pool?
*Paying extra attention to “Higher Risk Patrons”?
*Checking ALL areas of the zone, including at the guard’s feet?
*Is the Guard telling you what they don’t see?
Now It’s Your Turn
You can:
*Trade places. Get a tube and whistle, sit in the stand and let the guard listen to you.
*Remain in the same positions and have the guard follow along as you speak.
*Take notes and continue listening to other guards.
It might be beneficial to start out with a special In-Service.
Make Sure You:
*Know what your looking for
*Verbalize everything you want them to see.
*Verbalize the important things that you don’t see.
*Take everything you say and do seriously.
*Know and enforce all pool rules.
Listen To Them Again
*Switch places again and listen
*Pay attention to differences from the first time.
*Don’t expect them to be perfect
*Do Expect Improvement
*Take note of areas that still need improvement
Wrap-Up
*Don’t get upset with the guard after the first time.
Even an older experienced guard might not be seeing what you expect them to see.
*Be patient. Develop a program and stick with it. You
will notice a drastic improvement at first and steady improvement afterwards.
*Keep a positive attitude. Take it seriously but keep it fun. The more relaxed the
guard is, the more they will learn.
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