Boy Scouts of America

BSA Lifeguard

Overview

To recognize Scouts BSA members and Venturers age 15 and older, and adult volunteers who have successfully completed the BSA Lifeguard course and demonstrated the ability to perform each of the skills taught in the course.

Who Can Earn This Certification?

Earned by any youth age 15 and older, and by any adult.

How To Get the Certification

Offered by local councils as a course.

Supply Item Description & Uniform Placement

Certificate/pocket card, and square patch with yellow border and white ring that says ” BSA Lifeguard” surrounding fleur-de-lis; purchased at Scout shop; not worn on uniform, but on front right side of swimsuit.

Supply/BIN Item Number

Patch, No. 132; pocket card, No. 34260

BSA Lifeguard Requirements

To be trained as a BSA Lifeguard, you must successfully complete the course as outlined in the BSA Lifeguard Instructor Manual and demonstrate the ability to perform each item specified in the following requirements:

Prerequisites

Before doing requirements 6 through 26, complete the following:

  1. Submit proof of age and BSA Registration. You must be at least 15 years old to participate.
  2. Submit written evidence of fitness for swimming activities (signed health history).
  3. Swim continuously for 550 yards in good form using the front crawl or breaststroke or a combination of either, but swimming on the back or side is not allowed.
  4. Immediately following the above swim, tread water for two minutes with the legs only and the hands under the armpits.
  5. Starting in the water, swim 20 yards using a front crawl or breaststroke, surface dive 7 to 10 feet, retrieve a 10-pound object, surface, swim on your back with the object 20 yards back to the starting point with both hands holding the object, and exit the water, all within 1 minute, 40 seconds.

Requirements

Complete the following requirements within a 120-day period:

  1. Show evidence of current training in American Red Cross First Aid and American Red Cross CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer or equivalent.
  2. Show evidence of current training in the BSA online module for Safe Swim Defense.
  3. Attend and actively participate in all activities, presentations, demonstrations, and skill sessions involving lifeguard behavior, duties, responsibilities, surveillance, intervention and water rescue as prescribed in the BSA Lifeguard Instructor Manual.
  4. Demonstrate reaching assists from the deck using an arm, a rescue tube, and a pole.
  5. Demonstrate throwing assists using a throw bag and a ring buoy with a line attached. Throw each device such that the line lands within reach of an active subject 30 feet from shore.
  6. Demonstrate:
    1. a) Rescue of an active subject in deep water using a rescue board, kayak, rowboat, canoe, or other rescue craft that would be available at your local facility.
    2. b) Repeat for a passive subject.
  7. Demonstrate an entry and front approach with a rescue tube to an active subject in deep water 30 feet away from shore. Position the rescue tube to support the subject and then assist the subject to safety, providing direction and reassurance throughout.
  8. Demonstrate an entry and rear approach with a rescue tube to an active subject in deep water 30 feet away from shore. Secure and support the subject from behind and then move the subject to safety, providing direction and reassurance throughout.
  9. Demonstrate use of a rescue tube to assist two subjects grasping each other. Secure, support and reassure both subjects. With the assistance of a second guard, calm and separate the subjects and move them to safety.
  10. Demonstrate both front and rear head-hold escapes from a subject’s grasp.
  11. Demonstrate an entry and front approach with a rescue tube to a face-down passive subject 30 feet away at or near the surface in deep water. Use a wrist roll to position the subject face-up on the rescue tube, tow to safety, and remove them from the water with assistance within 90 seconds. Immediately perform a primary assessment and demonstrate one-person CPR for 3 minutes.
  12. Demonstrate an entry and rear approach with a rescue tube to a face-down passive subject 30 feet away at or near the surface in deep water. Position the subject face-up, tow to safety and remove them from the water with assistance within 90 seconds. Immediately perform a primary assessment and demonstrate two-person CPR for 3-minutes.
  13. In shallow water, demonstrate in-water ventilation of an unconscious subject when prompt removal from the water is not possible. Open the airway, position the mask, and simulate ventilations.
  14. Demonstrate an entry and approach with a rescue tube for use when a passive subject is submerged face-down at or near the bottom in 6 to 8 feet of water. Bring the subject to the surface and tow to the nearest point of safety.
  15. Remove a subject from the water using each of the following techniques in the appropriate circumstances with the aid of a second rescuer:
    1. a) Extrication at the edge of a pool or pier using a backboard
    2. b) Walking assist
    3. c) Beach drag
  16. Participate in multiple-rescuer search techniques appropriate for a missing subject in
    murky water:
    1. a) Line search in shallow water
    2. b) Underwater line search in deep water without equipment
    3. c) Underwater line search in deep water with mask and fins
  17. Demonstrate in-line stabilization for a face-down subject with suspected spinal injury in very shallow water (18 inches or less).
  18. Demonstrate in-line stabilization for a suspected spinal injury in shallow water (waist to chest deep):
    1. a) For a face-up subject
    2. b) For a face-down subject
  19. Demonstrate in-line stabilization for a suspected spinal injury in deep water, swim the subject to shallow water, confirm vital signs, and with the assistance of others, remove the subject from the water using a backboard with straps and a head immobilization device.
  20. Correctly answer 80 percent of the questions on the BSA Lifeguard knowledge test covering
    the course material. Review any incomplete or incorrect answers.
  21. Serve as a lifeguard, under supervision, for at least two separate BSA swimming activities
    for a combined time of two hours. Afterward, discuss the experience with the lifeguarding instructor.

Completion Options

Course completion cards are valid only when signed by either a current BSA Aquatics Instructor or BSA Lifeguard Instructor approved by the local council. Training is valid for two years, provided First Aid and CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer training are kept current during that period.

There are five ways to obtain a course completion card:

  1. Course Completion—Complete all requirements in the instructor manual during a scheduled course of instruction. The participant must attend all course sessions. Makeup sessions are allowed at the instructor’s discretion. If an individual is unable to complete all requirements during the scheduled course, the instructor may elect to continue training until the participant is able to complete all the requirements provided the total elapsed time from start to finish does not exceed the 120-day period.
  2. Renewal Challenge—Anyone with a BSA Lifeguard completion card that is current or has expired within six months may renew or extend the training by performing requirements 2 through 25 without attending the standard course sessions. Prior to the testing, the instructor may provide a renewal training session to review and update skills and information. Summer camp aquatics directors should renew training for aquatics staff members during pre-camp training while emphasizing local camp facilities, procedures, and emergency action plans.
  3. Crossover Challenge—Anyone who holds current training in American Red Cross Lifeguarding, American Red Cross Waterfront Lifeguarding, or other lifeguard training programs may obtain a BSA Lifeguard completion card by performing requirements 1 through 26 without attending the standard course sessions. The lifeguard training program that issued the training certificate must be recognized by the local or state regulatory agency that sets standards for lifeguards at youth camps. The instructor may provide a crossover training session to review and update skills and information prior to the testing. The applicant may receive credit for requirement 26 if within the past 18 months he or she has served as a lifeguard, under supervision, or has supervised lifeguards, for at least two separate BSA swimming activities for a combined time of two hours. Otherwise, due to BSA procedures not implemented at other lifeguarding venues, the applicant must accomplish requirement 26.
  4. Completion of BSA Aquatics Instructor – Anyone who completes BSA Aquatics Instructor training at National Camping School.
  5. Co-instructors (BSA Aquatics Instructor or BSA Lifeguard Instructor) may each sign a completion card for the other at the conclusion of a BSA Lifeguard course if they satisfy requirements 2 through 24.

BSA Lifeguard Application Form
BSA Lifeguard Instructor Manual

Bray Barnes

Director, Global Security Innovative
Strategies

Bray Barnes is a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, Silver
Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, and Learning for Life Distinguished
Service Award. He received the Messengers of Peace Hero award from
the royal family of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and he’s a life member of
the 101st Airborne Association and Vietnam Veterans Association. Barnes
serves as a senior fellow for the Global Federation of Competitiveness
Councils, a nonpartisan network of corporate CEOs, university presidents, and
national laboratory directors. He has also served as a senior executive for the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, leading the first-responder program
and has two U.S. presidential appointments

David Alexander

Managing Member Calje

David Alexander is a Baden-Powell Fellow, Summit Bechtel Reserve philanthropist, and recipient of the Silver Buffalo and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is the founder of Caljet, one of the largest independent motor fuels terminals in the U.S. He has served the Arizona Petroleum Marketers Association, Teen Lifeline, and American Heart Association. A triathlete who has completed hundreds of races, Alexander has also mentored the women’s triathlon team at Arizona State University.

Glenn Adams

President, CEO & Managing Director
Stonetex Oil Corp.

Glenn Adams is a recipient of the Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is the former president of the National Eagle Scout Association and established the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award. He has more than 40 years of experience in the oil, gas, and energy fields, including serving as a president, owner, and CEO. Adams has also received multiple service awards from the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers.