View All Class Specifications

Lifeguard

Category: Classified/Excluded
Pay Grade: C13
Job Code: 14730

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described.  Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were actually written out in this job description.

JOB SUMMARY

This is skilled public safety work preventing injury or death in County open water swimming areas. Employees in this class safeguard patrons at county open water swimming areas to prevent injury or loss of life by drowning and administer first aid or Cardiac Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) as required. Duties include routinely working on weekends and holidays.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS (examples, not all inclusive)

• Maintains order and discipline among bathers and beach goers at an assigned County swimming area;
• Rescues bathers in distress, applies resuscitation and administers first aid when necessary;
• Operates a rescue boat to patrol swimming areas and aid in the rescue of persons in distress;
• Inspects assigned areas to ensure proper warning signs and safety devices are properly posted or in place;
• Assists in maintaining general appearance and cleanliness of beach areas and facilities;
• Supervises and instructs summer classes on water safety, rescue techniques and competitive drills;
• Receives and transmits information on hand held and base station radios;
• Responds to and treats both life threatening and minor medical emergencies;
• Maintains an awareness of life threatening situations;
• Performs equipment maintenance and repair;
• Performs other related job duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience:

Completion of American Red Cross Lifeguard training certification or equivalent; or an equivalent combination of education, training and/or experience.  

Special Qualifications (May be required depending on area of assignment):

• Florida Driver’s License or Florida Commercial Driver’s License and endorsement, if any.
• Assignment to work a variety of work schedules including compulsory work periods in special, emergency, and/or disaster situations.
• American Red Cross Advanced Lifeguard training certification or its equivalent.
• Returning or substantially qualified lifeguards may be paid up to 5% above minimum without approval from the Personnel Director.
• C.P.R. certification for the Professional Rescuer or Cardiac Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training certification.
• A.E.D. and Oxygen training certifications.
• Pass the surf swimming skills test administered by the hiring authority.

• First Responder within one month of hire date.
• Other highly desirable knowledge, skills, abilities, and credentials required for a specific position.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of approved water rescue methods and specific first aid techniques;
• Skill in surf swimming, lifesaving, CPR, AED, Oxygen, and first aid;
• Skill in operating small watercraft;
• Ability to prevent dangerous situations from arising, recognize emergencies and take effective action;
• Ability to rapidly learn rules and regulations relating to park and beach activities and to exercise tact, firmness and good judgment in enforcing them;
• Ability to prepare clear and concise written reports.

PHYSICAL/MENTAL DEMANDS

The work is typically light work which requires exerting in excess of 100 pounds of force occasionally and/or in excess of 10 pounds of force constantly. Additionally, the following physical abilities are required:

• Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling while walking, standing or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. The amount of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium.
• Climbing: Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles and the like, using feet and legs and/or hands and arms. Body agility is emphasized.
• Crawling: Moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet.
• Crouching: Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.
• Feeling: Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.
• Fingering: Picking, pinching, typing, or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.
• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
• Handling: Picking, holding, or otherwise working, primarily with the whole hand.
• Hearing: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination in sound.
• Kneeling: Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees.
• Lifting: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles.
• Mental acuity: Ability to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.
• Pulling: Using upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion.
• Pushing: Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward or outward.
• Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
• Repetitive motion: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
• Speaking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including the ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately and concisely.
• Standing: Particularly for sustained periods of time.
• Stooping: Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires full motion of the lower extremities and back muscles.
• Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Visual acuity: Have close visual acuity such as color differentiation, depth perception, and adequate field vision.
• Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Work is performed in an environment with crisis situations that require major decisions involving people, resources, and property.