PANAJI
“From the 106 candidates who applied for the positions, a 42 (21 from North Goa and 21 from South Goa) passed the physically enduring test and have been selected to undergo a 45-day intense training boot-camp,” Drishti said in a statement.
“A thorough knowledge of the key skill sets are required to be a certified lifeguard with Drishti. We follow the course syllabus as recommended by the Special Rescue Training Academy (SRTA) accredited to IRIA (Canada). The skills needed include life guarding, knowledge of CPR and first aid, beach operations, Jet Ski operation, use of rescue tube, board and various rescue techniques in addition to leadership and soft skills,” Lalit Negi, General Manager (Training).
During the first three weeks of training the newly selected candidates will go through pool and classroom sessions. The pool sessions include 400 meters swim tests, endurance swim practices, stroke corrections, three and five meter jumps, underwater swimming, basic rescue tube and board skills among other activities. The classroom sessions include lectures on surf awareness, beach conditions, rips currents and sea hazards, beach patrolling, safety signs and flag systems, types of rescue equipment and their uses, first aid, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), AED and more.
A key ingredient for becoming a lifeguard includes being able to swim 400 metres in under 14 minutes.
In the fourth and fifth week of training candidates will go through open sea and beach sessions which include physical exercises, sea swim practices, wading, duck dives, body surfing, rescue tube and board techniques, lifts, carry and transportation methods, crowd control, patrolling, communication with visitors, patient recovery and victim evacuation procedures.
The final week of training will include Jet Ski familiarization where the candidates will be taught the basic craft of a Jet Ski, safety precautions, launch and retrieval and victim pick up methods among a few.
During the week, the candidates will also be posted at popular beaches such as Baga in North Goa and Benaulim in South Goa under the supervision of senior lifeguards to get a hands-on experience of the job.
