Atlantic coast lifeguards

Has just completed a dual new candidate and renewal candidate National Pool lifeguard course NPLQ which is in its 8th edition, it also included the new AED training program!

It took a lot of training hours and plenty of paperwork but Ireland has 14 succesfull new lifeguards out there

Here they are with trainer Muirti O Cearnaigh and assessors Brian Flannery and Brendan Melvin

            Group 1 

Group 2 

The new Automatic External Defibrillation (AED) programme specially designed for LIFEGUARDS has now been started by Atlantic Coast Lifeguards!!

The new course is designed by RLSS specifically with  Lifeguards in mind and is available in two formats :

	A ‘Bolt-on’ AED course to a  NPLQ
	AED Stand Alone course open to all

 All Pool lifeguard courses that are being held will include the new AED program.

The beach lifeguard courses will include AED  from 2013 onwards.

If you would like to run a basic life support and AED course in your area please contact Atlantic Coast Lifeguards through the website

Congratulations the the sucessfull candidates who passed their course in Bundoran surf co in Co.Donegal.

If You are a surf school, club. college or school group that would like to run either the beach or the pool lifeguard qualification course, Call Atlantic Coast Lifeguards and we can arrange to come to you!

Contact Muirtí on 086 2597688 or email muirti@live.ie

There was a huge demand this Easter for people wanting to do their National Pool Lifeguard Qualification,  And i its good to see they needed it for a job they have lined up.

There were 2 groups this year and they all successfully completed their exam, We now have 16 new RLSS Qualified lifeguards in Ireland

RLSS Water Safety Management Programme (WSMP)

The Water Safety Management Programme (WSMP) is a new programme which the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) is launching in 2011 to provide training to adults who work with young people in and around the water.

The programme is designed to give leaders the knowledge and skills to safely manage a structured swimming activity with young people. The focus of the course is water safety, management of swimming and prevention of drowning, however there is an element of rescue and recovery included.

There are three levels to the WSMP:

• Level 1 – Basic Water Safety Management
• Level 2 – Environment Specific (Beach or River)
• Level 3 – In Water Rescue Unit

The course is designed to be accessible, however there is a practical element which requires the following:

• A current first aid qualification (first response or higher)
• An understanding of the principles of risk assessment and the ability to conduct an effective risk assessment
• Confidence in the water
• Ability to conduct a 30 metre swim and non-contact tow of a simulated conscious casualty
• Ability to conduct a 15 metre swim tow of an unconscious casualty
• Ability to dive underwater to a depth of 1.5 metres

These skills will be checked during the course through practical tasks and in-water activities. You need to come prepared to take part on both days in water-based activity in both a river environment and the sea.

To prepare for the course you should build a programme of training to ensure that you will be capable of performing the skills outlined above in an open water environment (generally at a beach). You should take into account the weather and water temperature as well as the clothing you may require.

This course is aimed at school teachers, youth leaders and Outdoor adventure instructures and can be tailored for your individual sport.

Follow below link for full information

NWSMP Leaflet Interim leaflet (1)

Rookie Lifeguard

The Rookie Lifeguard programme is the junior award scheme of the RLSS Ireland. For most children Rookie Lifeguard will be the first opportunity to explore water safety and alternative safe aquatic play.

The Rookie skills make Rookies aware of how to take better care of themselves, their family and friends, and give them the information they need to promote water safety in their day to day activities. The awards contain survival, rescue and sports skills as well as Life Support and water safety elements.

Rookie Lifeguard is primarily aimed at children aged 8 – 12 years although most of the skills can be taught to people of all ages. Starting with Stage 1 of the Bronze Award and progressing through to Stage 3 of the Gold Award, Rookie Lifeguard begins at an ability level suitable for swimmers who have just learned to swim and progresses to the level of performing Lifesaving tows.

Also part of the Rookie Lifeguard Programme are the Water Safety, Life Support and Bolt-on Awards. These Bolt-on Awards offer varied extra skills, wet and dry, that Rookies can achieve to push themselves further and provide encouragement between the core awards.

Rookie Lifeguard is part of the National Plan for Teaching Swimming (NPTS) developed by the Amateur Swimming Association although it can also be run as a stand-alone course by Lifesaving Clubs, Leisure Centres, Swim schools and as part of School swimming lessons. The Rookie Lifeguard Water Safety Award fulfils all of the Key Stage 2 water safety elements of the National Curriculum.

                              Survive and Save Programme 

“Survive & Save” is the new lifesaving standard. There are Bronze, Silver and Gold Levels for you to take part in. You can also choose any one of Medallion, Beach, Stillwater or Sport programmes as areas to specialize in for each medal category.

You can complete just one or all four of the specialist areas before you move on to the next medal. Once you have completed the “Survive & Save” programme there is still the ultimate challenge for you – the Distinction Award. This is presented when you have successfully completed 3 Gold Level categories.

The new “Survive & Save” programme has been reviewed and developed over several years with many trainers, committees and candidates contributing to a new and exciting format for our clubs, trainers and YOU the candidate.

“Survive & Save” is the most significant update to the Senior Awards programme for a generation and we are confident that you will find the programme interesting, stimulating, challenging and rewarding.

So, before you explore our new “Survive & Save” Awards let me wish you luck on a journey that will equip you with the tools to not only save your own life, but maybe someone else’s!

People are still drowning and together we can keep adding to our elite army of trained lifesavers who will continue to “Safeguard lives in, on or near water”.

NPLQ  8^th Edition

The National Pool Lifeguard qualification (NPLQ) will be changing its format from May 2012. It will have a new and improved manual and course structure.

To Note: If you are booked into a course do not worry, when you are due to renew you will receive the updated course.

Why Change?

Back in the summer of 2009, after significant anecdotal evidence from Trainers and Approved Training Centres (ATCs) we began to scope out a project to first determine whether the feedback we were receiving warranted a change to the NPLQ or its delivery. We completed research into international qualifications, reviewing their syllabi, training methods, and discussions with leading international experts from within the lifeguarding fraternity, and where available, to look at any research which might aid the process.

Early in 2010 we issued a survey to all of our Trainer-Assessors. The survey asked TAs questions around the delivery of the NPLQ, what works, what doesn’t work, what’s useful, what’s not. What TAs would like to see included and what they would like to see excluded and so on. The results of which were incredibly helpful and insightful. In addition we analysed the feedback received at River House.

Pulling this research together was our starting point for development. At the same time we also pulled together a NPLQ  8^th Edition Programme Board, whose remit at this point was to support us in the review and then to collectively determine the need for change, or not. The programme board needed to be representative of all factions touching the NPLQ. We set out a group remit and methodology and invited a small number of representatives to assist, comprising: NTA, TA, NPLQ holder, ATC, First Aid tutor, a paramedic, a pool manager, a group lifeguard manager, Health & Safety consultant, leisure operations consultant, our chief medical advisor Dr Handley and the technical team from IQL UK.

Once we’d pulled all of these data and discussion together it was clearly evident and unanimously agreed that the NPLQ, at the very least, needed updating and in many areas needed additional elements to address the needs of TAs and ATCs. Therefore a new project scope was developed and as a delicate step by step approach was then adopted to create the NPLQ 8^th Edition

When embarking on a project of this magnitude and importance it is absolutely essential that research and consultation is at the centre of all changes or the decision making processes and is fundamental to the entire project meeting both the needs of the leisure industry and to our training workforce.                                                                                                                                                                     

What is changing?                                                                                                                                               

The Qualification :  Whilst there remain a large number of subject headings from the NPLQ 7^th Edition (first revision), all of the content has been re-written, re-structured and indeed new content added.                                                                                                                 

Change of Emphasis :  NPLQ 8^th Edition has ensured that the structure of the new qualification follows a route which the lifeguard may typically take once completed the lifeguard qualification. The content of the NPLQ 8^th Edition will be delivered, as much as possible, so that the learner can see the reality of the lifeguard role on the course thus allowing them to practically apply their knowledge in the working environment. The emphasis of the NPLQ 8^th Edition is focused on early intervention.                                                             

Contents of the Lifeguard Manual :

	Section 1 – The Lifeguard, Swimming Pool and Supervision
	Section 2 – Intervention and Rescue
	Section 3 – CPR and First Aid
	Section 4 – Application of Health & Safety Law, PSOP, Induction and CPD
	Section 5 – AED*
	*Section 5 is an optional bolt on to the main syllabus, Sections 1-4.

Key Changes.                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Throughout you may recognize some text but it may be simplified, language and style changes, more emphasis, detail or an addition.                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

The content of Unit 1 and Unit 2 are combined together within the manual giving a complete candidate learning resource and enabling an improved and seamless delivery of the content by the trainer.

Examples of content changes are:-

	Accountability
	Maintaining standards
	Customer perception
	Maintaining concentration
	Stroke

Removal of the following from the syllabus:-

	Bear Hug
	Treatment of Crush injuries

The Delivery of the Qualification 

If there is one aspect of the new qualification which has been at the forefront of our minds and an absolute priority in getting this right it has been our attention to TA resources. Based on our research and the analysis undertaken over the last few years, if there is one common theme that jumps out at us regularly it is that of ‘the consistency of the delivery of the NPLQ’.So when TAs update in 2012 they will be issued a pack of resources to support the delivery of the 8^thEdition. This pack will include, the new candidate manual, a new and much improved master programme, PowerPoint™ presentation in the delivery of the full syllabus of the 8^th Edition, lesson plans and schemes of work. All neatly packaged up in a DVD/CD for TAs to use immediately once they have been updated.  

The Master Programme and Delivery Slides  

Currently the Lifeguard manual does not mirror the flow of the Master Programme. To improve the flow of the NPLQ course, the new Master Programme and the TA delivery slides that accompany it now mirror the new Lifeguard manual. All three documents now follow the same sequence to ensure greater learner experience and ease of delivery for the TA.

The PowerPoint™ delivery slides supporting the Master Programme ensure the consistent delivery of the qualification. They include interactive learning materials through the use of video and e-environments and there has been significant improvement to the pictures throughout the delivery slides, Master Programme and the Lifeguard manual.                                                                                               

What has not changed?                                                                                                                                      

The Approved Training Centre scheme has not changed and candidates will still be assessed by an external independent assessor to achieve the qualification.                                                                                                                                                                                                  

When will it happen?                                                                                                                      

 Timescales for Delivering the NPLQ 8^th Edition: Following the introduction to NPLQ 8^th Edition at Leisure Industry Week we will be finalising the content, editing, approving and printing the manual in time for January 2012.  Pilot courses were delivered in October 2011 and November 2011. In January 2012 we will be updating 30 NTAs on a two-day course that will include a one day NPLQ 8^th Edition update and NTA briefing and a one day training course that will qualify the NTAs to deliver AED.

From February 2012 we will be running 24 TA updates on the NPLQ 8^th Edition across Ireland and the UK. These will be led by Alex Blackwell (National Pool Programme Manager) and Tara Dillon (IQL UK Executive Director). Venues have been identified at which to deliver these updates. It is expected that the venues will hold a minimum of 100 people and will have a maximum capacity of 200.

These venues will be spread around  both the UK and Ireland and updates run on a rotating basis to allow as much access as possible for the TAs. All information about the 8^th Edition TA updates will be posted on our website. You can attend at any update, not necessarily the one nearest to you. There will be one update per week for 24 weeks.

From February 2012 – throughout the year we will be running a number of one-day AED updates across the country and these will be led by the NTAs that have been trained to deliver this.If TAs want to deliver the AED bolt-on section of the NPLQ 8^th Edition they will be required to attend this one day update seminar even if you are already an RLSS AED trainer.

The venues for the AED training will be spread around the UK and Ireland on a rotating basis to allow as much access as possible for the TAs. Delivery of the NPLQ 8^th Edition will commence from February 2012 once the first batches of TAs have been trained to deliver the syllabus.

TAs that have not been updated will be able to continue delivering the NPLQ 7^th Edition (first revision) until December 2012. Therefore the NPLQ 7^th Edition (first revision) and the NPLQ 8^th Edition will be running in tandem for this period of time.

No further NPLQ 7^th Edition (first revision) courses will be permitted to run from the 31^st December 2012.

If TAs do not attend a NPLQ 8^th Edition update they will not be permitted to deliver the NPLQ 8^th Edition.

NPLQ  8^th Edition Updates in Ireland For Trainer/Assessors have been arranged as follows -

	Friday 16th. March Lisburn Co. Antrim
	Wednesday  2nd. May Portlaoise, Co. Laois