Lifeguards

I need a job next summer, and would love to be a lifeguard with my friend, but I don’t know if I’m old enough to get certified, I’ve been looking on-line and haven’t been able to find much please help!

I live in Oklahoma and need to find a way to get certified, I will be 15 next summer but not until late may, I’m willing to make the trip to the place, I was just wondering if anyone could help me find a place to get certified

Here’s the answer I gave to a person asking about becoming a lifeguard in Texas, most of it should apply to becoming a lifeguard in Oklahoma http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AoQo5Y623pA2AASTlaG4NRDty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20080724112915AAVmgph&show=7#profile-info-layV6N1Faa :
"Basically you will need to get certified by one of seven nationally recognized organizations (Texas might have a slightly different list of organizations).

Here is what I know about them:

United States Lifesaving Association (USLA)- this is for open water/ surf lifeguarding (on a beach)

Starfish Aquatics Institute (Starguard program)- I don’t know a whole lot about them. As I understand it they are a private risk management/ pool operations company that also certifies lifeguards.

YMCA- As far as I know this program is only used at YMCAs and some YMCAs use ARC or Ellis instead

Boy Scouts of America (BSA)- I don’t know a whole lot about this program either.

National Aquatic Safety Company (NASCO)- I’m not very familiar with NASCO.

American Red Cross (ARC)-probably the most common certification for pools. Form ARC you will usually need Lifeguarding, First Aid, CPR and AED for the Professional Rescuer to be hired as a lifeguard.

Jeff Ellis and Associates (EA, E&A, Ellis)- probably the most common certification for water parks and second most common for pools (they claim to certify guards for over 90% of privately owned water parks in the US). Ellis and Associates integrates lifeguarding, first aid, CPR and AED training all into one course.

There is a huge debate over Ellis vs. Red Cross, which if you want to learn more about it I would guess Google could find you plenty of material on the debate.

Some pools may have you apply for a job and then train you in the program they have selected.

Physical requirements vary from certification to certification and pool to pool. Requirements usually involve: a swim of some length sometimes with specified strokes and a surface dive to retrieve an object (sometimes a specified type of surface dive). Some companies will also include a treading water requirement like treading water for two minuets without hands."

As far as age you will probably be required to turn 15 before the last day of the course. Other certifications require you to be 16 of possibly older. Some facilities have their own age requirements.

I agree with sarah t, you should ask about the lifeguarding requirements and certification required at any facilities you want to work at. Some, as i mentioned before, will have different requirements than just the certification.

Good Luck!