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A Day in the Life(guard) 

As we enter the month of May, Six Flags St. Louis is working hard to get Hurricane Harbor ready to open for the summer. This will not be possible, though, without the help of the aquatics team and its incredible lifeguards. But what exactly does it take to join our team of lifeguards and what does a typical operating day look like throughout the summer for that team? 

Lifeguard Training

Those who apply for the lifeguard position must first go through a vigorous training process in order to obtain their certification. In total, the lifeguards must go through 32 hours of training before obtaining their certification! This may seem like a lot of work, but it is to ensure that our lifeguards are properly trained and able to provide safe fun for all who enter the water park each day. Let’s look at what these 32 training hours consist of. 

CPR & First Aid Training: 8 Hours

All lifeguards will go through a CPR/First Aid course that includes CPR, supplemental oxygen, AED use, and standard First Aid training. 

Lifeguard Training: 16 Hours of Training

Lifeguards must be able to pass a series of pre-requisite tests that consist of the following: 

  • Shallow water lifeguards: 
  • Swim 50 yards without stopping. 
  • Swim underwater 10 feet in a maximum depth of 5 feet of water to retrieve a 10lb brick and bring it to the surface. 
  • Special Facilities Lifeguard (Wave Pool Lifeguards): 
  • Swim 200 yards without stopping. 
  • Perform a feet-first dive, retrieve a 10lb brick, and bring it to the surface. 
  • In deep water, tread water without arms or hands for 2 minutes. 
  • Students will then receive in-depth training on rescue maneuvers in various situations, along with performing on-deck and in-water simulations. Drills and exercises for rescue techniques for individual or team scenarios will be taught as well.  
  • Lastly, students are required to demonstrate their competency in each area covered. Final tests include practical demonstration of skills through various individual and team management of various emergency situations, along with a written exam that trainees must receive an 80% score or higher.  

Attraction Certification: 8 Hours

Once the lifeguard certification has been obtained, trainees are taught how to operate each of the attractions in the Hurrican Harbor. 

Each lifeguard must demonstrate proper operation of the attraction with a Certified Trainer present and take a test for each. To pass the test, trainees must obtain a score of 90% or higher to be officially certified on that attraction.  

Monthly In-Service: 4 Hours (Monthly Check-Up)

After achieving full certification, each lifeguard must complete 4 hours of In-Service Training each month to maintain their Lifeguard Certification throughout the summer.  

Hurricane Harbor Day-to-Day

Now that we know exactly what it takes to officially become a lifeguard, what does a typical day look like for each of our lifeguards as they go to work in the Harbor?  

A typical day for a lifeguard can start as early as 9:00am, with the Harbor itself opening at 11:00am. In the morning, lifeguards will take part in pre-opening cleaning, attraction inspections, and go through In-Service Training. To fully inspect each attraction, a lifeguard or slide attendant must ride each attraction before it can fully open to guests.    

Before guests can enter the waterpark, all lifeguards must be on-stand. Once the water park is open, lifeguards will rotate positions every 45 minutes. 

Throughout the day, the Aquatics Leadership team will perform Visual Awareness Trainings. These VAT trainings are audits that help ensure lifeguards maintain a test level readiness and are ready to react at any given moment.  

At the end of the day, Lifeguards will help clean out the facilities and will attend in-service training, only if they did not attend a training in the morning.  

For those who join the aquatics team, they will have the opportunity to participate in exclusive employee events as well. On certain days, lifeguards may stay behind after the waterpark closes for an exclusive Aquatics Department event! 

Splash into a Rewarding Career as a Six Flags St. Louis Lifeguard

All in all, the Aquatics Department works hard to make sure that the guests who come to the waterpark can have as much fun as possible, while also ensuring the complete safety of the guests as well. So, make sure to slather on some sunscreen this upcoming Memorial Day weekend to have some fun in Hurricane Harbor! 

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