Call: Lifeguard Recruitment Initiative
Lifeguards need to be good swimmers.
Many people and places to can help with swimming skills and aquatic fitness including the Saturday Swim School offered for free by Coach Mark Rauterkus at the Northside’s PPS Allegheny School located across the street from the Aviary. See: Swim.CLOH.org. Call or text: 412-298-3432.
Basic Pre-Lifeguard Abilities:
- Swim 300 yards without stopping,
- Tread water for 2-minutes without using your hands, (kicking vertical, head up), and
- Recover a diving brick from the bottom of the deep end of the pool.
Lifeguard certifications come from Lifeguard Instructors who teach Lifeguard Classes from various agencies: American Red Cross, The YMCA, Ellis & Associates, Starfish International.
Training includes: Lifeguard skills (such as the rescues), CPR, First Aid,plus written and practical tests. Courses take about 20-hours. Lessons occur in person in classrooms, in the swim pool and sometimes online too.
Lifeguard Training Tuition:
Most lifeguard classes have a fee of up to $250, but some employers cover these costs for their staff members. Pittsburgh’s Citiparks, Sandcastle, and The Pittsburgh Project offer no-charge lifeguard classes for employees who work for them. LA Fitness, YMCA, Pitt, Slippery Rock Univ., Allegheny County Parks, swim clubs, school districts and some country clubs have other affordable classes too.
Upcoming Classes, Reserve Your Spot!
- The Pittsburgh Project offers Saturday classes starting in the first quarter of 2020, 412-298-3432.
- Citiparks offers Saturday classes starting March 21, 2020. Call, 412-323-7930.
- Citiparks offers Tuesdays and Thursdays evening classes in May 2020. 412-323-7930.