Lifeguard Strategies: Area Control and Surveillance

Posted on Mar 8, 2025 in Other subjects

Job Location

The location of the post should be established based on:

  • A high perceptual control of the area to watch.
  • An immediate access to water.
  • Efficient distribution of posts. This distribution will in turn be based on:
  • The estimated risks.
  • The physical characteristics (size, shape, depth, etc.) of the area to watch.

For example, in conventional pools (rectangular), it is more effective to place the unit on one of the long sides. If there are two positions and a deeper zone, the other post will be placed in the middle of the short side of the deep zone.

Static Surveillance and/or Dynamic

Static surveillance is one in which the responder observes the area from their monitoring post. It has the advantage of the aider’s knowledge of benchmarks in the face of interventions, the peripheral points, and/or blind spots to which they have to pay special attention, etc. In return, the static position can cause a reduction in attention over time or excessive relaxation.

In dynamic monitoring, the lifeguard monitors by patrolling the edge of the swimming area. This type of monitoring allows more contact with the user and facilitates communication with them to inform or make recommendations. In return, when moving around the pool, it can unbalance the surveillance areas (if in extreme vigilance decreases the other) or be exposed to being distracted by the proximity of users on the banks who stand, talk, etc.

Strategies for Area Control

The zone control can be done in relation to the extension to cover three ways:

  • Global Control

In this type of control, all lifeguards patrol the entire area.

Restricted Control

Each lifeguard watches over a specific area. (Cannot be done in areas with a single rescuer).

Combined Control

A part of the rescue team performs global control and reinforces the other hand control through restricted areas at particular risk.

In relation to strategies for observation of the area, we can distinguish several ways:

  • Address the activities from highest to lowest risk.
  • Address the swimming levels of people, from more to less precarious.
  • Meet people in more limited capacities (children, elderly, young, etc.) to less constrained.

In any case, it is appropriate to bring the monitoring, approximately, the System 10:20. This relates to the rescuer must be able to observe fully the area of supervision in 10 seconds and access in 20 seconds, any eventuality that may arise.

Watchkeeping Duties

The rescuer’s work environment is prone to distraction and mental fatigue in the long term.

The concentration levels are decreasing as a result of:

  • The passage of time.
  • Habituation to stimulate the same situation.

To remedy this, a system of rotation and relaxation should be established (provided that the number of lifeguards makes this possible).

Breaks should be associated with the rotation, so that the lifeguard who returns to rest, goes to the post of higher saturation (people, time).