I live in a large apartment complex which has large private pool for residents. Most of the people in the pool are kids. There is always one lifeguard on duty. There is a 6 foot high lifeguard chair, but the lifeguards all refuse to use it even though it is in excellent condition and allows them to see all corners of the pool from high up. The lifeguards sit on a lawn chair next to the side of the pool, about 7 feet from the pool. When the pool is full of rambunctious kids, it is impossible for the lifeguard to see all the kids from that angle.Can someone give me an official definition of the purpose of an elevated lifeguard chair so that I can file a formal complaint and have this matter dealt with so the kids are safe. Any suggestions or help would be appreciated.Thank you
You identified the purpose of an elevated chair. However, as a former life guard, those chairs are virtually always terribly uncomfortable especially for smaller private pools with fewer lifeguards who could end up sitting there for hours at a time. In larger pools, there are enough lifeguards to rotate positions at the pool and, therefore, a guard would only have to sit up there for 20 to 30 minutes. That is doable. However, at those same larger pools as it should be at your apartment pool, the guards should NOT be sitting in a lawn chair, the guard should be walking the pool deck. The next consideration is the role of a lifeguard at a pool like yours. At swimming pools, rarely does a guard actually save someone from drowning. Their job is more to help prevent injuries. If someone is drowning in an apartment complex pool then the odds are that the person is having a heart attack or a seizure. The other people who are in danger are the tots, little kids, that I call wall crawlers as they go hand over hand hanging on the edge of the pool. Once in a while a wall crawler loses their grip and simply needs a watchful person to reach down and pick them up. THAT is why a lifeguard in your pool should be standing and walking near the shallow end while keeping the kids going off the diving board safe from injury. The OFFICIAL definition of a lifeguard is that the definition is dependent on the needs of the pool and I already described that. Finally, no guard should be expected to watch a pool for more than about 45 minutes without a break. It is incredibly boring and the guard needs a break from that boredom if you want the guard to be diligent. Thus, there needs to be a minimum of two guards on duty at all times and some sort of schedule should be established with the the guards on a rotation.
I have been a lifeguard for 3 years now (certified for 4, worked for 3). The whole intention of the lifeguard chair is so that the lifeguard will be able to see everything from up above the pool rather than looking at it from nearly eye level. The lifeguard should be able to see the bottom of the pool from where they're sitting so that if a kid goes under they will know about it immediately. A lifeguard is supposed to scan the pool from left to right, top to bottom, all at once. If the lifeguard is above the scene, it makes their job a million times easier and ups the safety level drastically. Hope this helps.
yes, its a good idea.. this is particularly important at a one-lifeguard facility where an elevated stand provides a much better view of patron activities than the view you have from a deck-level lifeguard station
You answered your own question. The purpose of the chair is elevation to allow for greater visibility of the pool, and just as important, to allow the lifeguard to see the bottom of the pool (people that have sunk to the bottom in need of rescue).
A lifeguard chair is often tall, sometimes with a ladder attached to one side or build to be easily climbed if necessary. The height of a lifeguard chair allows two distinct advantages; first, the lifeguard has an unblocked view of the water they are guarding, allowing them to watch swimmers carefully for signs of distress. Additionally, the tall chair helps identify the lifeguard in case of emergency or accident. People at the site will have an easier time finding and identifying a lifeguard if the chair is prominent. Some lifeguard chairs are quite basic, but others have several features to make the job of the lifeguard considerably easier. Chairs may feature a sunshade or umbrella to protect the lifeguard from the sun. As lifeguards often work long shifts in sunny locations, a sunshade can prevent severe sunburns from developing. A lifeguard chair may also have hooks and compartments for lifeguard gear, making it easy to reach in an emergency. Keeping emergency supplies high on the chair and attached to hooks or on built-in shelves can also prevent beach or pool-goers from misusing or playing with safety equipment.
