Life Guard Course: DSYS Odisha Promoting Swimming As Life Skill & Competitive Sport

Bhubaneswar: Department of Sports and Youth Services (DSYS) of Odisha is conducting a 10-day Life Guard and Pool Operator course at the all-weather Biju Patnaik Swimming pool, Kalinga Stadium, in partnership with Life Saving Society of India (LSSI).

The course by LSSI — a member of International Live Saving Federation for India and the national body for training and certification of various Life Saving and Aquatic Disaster courses — commenced on September 27 and will be training 20 lifeguards.

A lifeguard is responsible with his or her team for maintaining safety and prevention of accidents in waterbodies. The Lifeguard and Pool Operator course will have professionals imparting expert training and covering skills and knowledge of first aid, resuscitation, swimming and water safety to participants.

The participants will also be taught management of a safe pool, measures to prevent accidents, scanning of the pool, advanced aquatic rescue skills, use of rescue equipment, basic water treatments and maintenance, and complete first aid.

The course includes practical and theoretical components, using the latest equipment and a range of realistic and practical scenarios.

Post their training and assessment, the lifeguards will be deployed at different locations across eight grassroot swimming pools in the state.

The aim of DSYS in organizing the course is to promote swimming as a competitive sport from grassroot to elite and also inculcate the habit of swimming among the public.

Training in lifeguarding, which is a profession in demand, will also open up career opportunities like supervisor, duty manager, facility manager, swimming teacher, assessor and trainer for the life guards.