Lifeguard Lexis

of Northwood Pool

The groupchat is where all of the guards converse about everyday events at the pool. If there are any scheduling changes, such as closing or opening early, the head guards will inform all of the other guards via this form of communication. All of the guards also discuss switching shifts if need be and inform the group if they will be late or absent to work.

The schedule is updated by the head guards every week. It allows guards to see when they are working and gives them a layout of what their weekly and monthly schedule will look like. Guards are free to adjust their schedules by making compromises with their peers

Carefully constructed by the head guards, the lesson schedule includes the times and levels that the guards are assigned to teach. Each guard teaches at least one of each level for levels one through three.

The facebook page is run by the program director. It announces important events regarding the pool and provides contact information. The pool's hours of operation can also be found on the page.

Head Lifeguard of 2 years Kyra Traska knows all of the ins and outs of Northwood pool, but acknowledges that sometimes it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Kyra began her career at Northwood pool five years ago, as she “grew up around the area and had always visited the pool as a kid.” She mentioned the large impact swimming has had on her life, and once she became age-eligible, she knew that summer she would apply to be a lifeguard. But minus the perks of “getting super tan” and feeling “a sense of authority amongst the community,” Traska understands the actual gravity of her job that most tend to overlook.

She describes “seeing all sorts of issues, from scraped knees to intense medical emergencies.” And recalls a time where she “witnessed a swimmer jump off the diving board, slip, and scrape up the middle of his back to the base of his head.” Intense and dangerous situations like these are where the lifeguards realize that they are holding much more of a role than just a summer job, they are there to save lives and ensure the safety of the community.

Traska also explained that the guards tend to be stereotyped by the outside community as leaders. She noted that it’s hard to uphold this role because of the pressure behind it, but she knows that with the community’s support they have the tools needed to be successful. It can be challenging because the “respect of the community comes immediately we have to focus on maintaining it,” and because they are held at such a high standard that there is little room for error. They are expected to be able to know what to do at all times, when in reality that is impossible.

Because of the intensity and potential level of danger, Traska explained the training required to become a lifeguard. Initially, “she had to take a two-week certification course through the Red Cross, and then had to be CPR certified separately. After completion of the initial test, every two years after completion she must take a recertification course to stay up to date with the Red Cross requirements.” She notes that it gets challenging, constantly having to be on the lookout for changes in requirements, and when studying for her tests, she noted that the Red Cross and her workplace used different terms to define different scenarios. Since it is not required that the guards complete the test every year, Traska notes that her “manager holds large practice trials once a month during the pool season, which include the guards testing their skills in a way similar to how they would be assessed by the red cross. They practice saving fake victims and go over Emergency Action Plans and the location of equipment.”