Lifesaving Society

Affiliate Workshop and Annual General Meeting

You are cordially invited to attend the Lifesaving Society’s Affiliate Workshop, Annual General Meeting and award presentations on Saturday June 3, 2006.

The Affiliate Workshop is the first that the Society has introduced and it is designed to address topics that affiliates have proposed in the past year. There are over 30 active aquatic facilities throughout Newfoundland and Labrador but with little interaction between staff or management. This workshop will be useful to aquatic managers, staff, crew leaders, recreation directors and lifeguards.

Suzanne Gorman, Communication & Education Manager, Lifesaving Society Ottawa, will provide information and interactive presentations on programming; staff training and finding funding.

Chris King, an Associate with the law firm of McInnes Cooper in St. John’s, will explore legal responsibilities. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more and enable your facility and staff to be the best that you can offer in your community. The brochure is enclosed for your information and registration details are included on it.

Following the Workshop, the Lifesaving Society will hold its Annual General Meeting and presentation of Affiliate Awards and Commonwealth Honour Awards, presented by the Newfoundland and Labrador’s Governor, Robert LeMessurier.

After the business meetings are complete, we invite you to attend the President’s Reception with members and guests for light refreshments. Bring your wallet for the Silent Auction and please consider donating an item for the Auction. All proceeds of the Silent Auction go towards Water Smart education initiatives.

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions can now be found on the Society website. Click here to access the page.

High School Credits for Lifesaving Programs

Effective September 2005, an individual who completes the sequence of Bronze Star, Bronze Medallion, Bronze Cross, National Lifeguard Service Award (NLS) and Aquatic Emergency Care (AEC) or Lifesaving Standard First Aid will be eligible for 2 credits for physical education for high school graduation. Courses do not have to be current and do not have to be completed in one year. Individuals who want to claim credits simply complete the appropriate form, available from their school or the Society, request certification confirmation from the Lifesaving Society and submit the form to their school.

Course content provides strong elements of physical fitness, leadership and vocational skills as well as lifesaving skills of rescue and aquatic first aid. Courses are aimed at the junior high and high school levels, with some participants completing Bronze Star, the entry level course, at age 10 or 11, dependent on their skill and maturity levels. For years physical education has not been a component of high school education but in September 2005, every student entering high school will be required to complete two credits in physical education. Lifesaving and lifeguarding courses are now an option to individuals who are interested.

Aquatic facilities across the province offer these programs and others which make up the programming packages from the Lifesaving Society. We encourage individuals to contact their local pool for registration details or more information. Or visit the Society’s website or download an application now.

Canadian Lifesaving Competition in Halifax in 2006
2006 Canadian Lifeguard Championships
(Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Communique 1 - January 2006
Registration Package - Senior
Priority Assessment Judging Sheets
Simulation Event Judging Sheets

Further details to be posted.

Visit the Nova Scotia branch of the Lifesvaing Socieity
for full details and upates.

New radio PSAs are now available.

Mike Fisher of the Ottawa senators narrates Water Smart messages for the Lifesaving Society Society.

Click here to download the PSAs for immediate use.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND
LIFEGUARD REUNION

On Tuesday, April 5, 2005, The Royal Life Saving Society, Newfoundland and Labrador Branch will recognize twenty-five Newfoundland and Labrador Heroes with Rescue Honours. Each of the recipients was involved in the rescue or rescue attempt of someone who was drowning.

As a Royal Society, Her Majesty The Queen is the Patron of the Royal Life Saving Society

Canada

. In Newfoundland and Labrador , the Lieutenant Governor as the Queen’s representative is the Patron of the Branch.

Rescue Commendation Certificates will be presented to:

Clarence & Vincent Haas rescued a bird hunter whose boat had been swamped

Trevor Blanchard saved the life of a snowmobiler who had gone through the ice.

Conrad Durnford dived into frigid water to rescue a man whose boat had overturned.

William Standing rescued a friend whose attempt at crossing a river went wrong.

Lynn Best & Joy Pike are sisters whose quick thinking and actions saved the life of their friend who fell through harbour ice.

Dorman Compton and John Hopkins rescued a sealer from the slob ice after his boat capsized.

Kevin Parsons, Soloman Everson, Ronald Everson and Bernard Everson risked their lives in 1949 to rescue a US Navy Lt whose plane had gone down in the sea off Flatrock.

Cst. Stephen Knight’s actions turned a potential tragic incident into a rescue when he entered the Waterford River to rescue a girl who had jumped off the bridge.

Two boys, Zachary Clarke & Danny Saunders acted swiftly to save their friend who had fallen through sea ice.

Clayton Stratton & Howard Greene rescued a man who had fallen into the river and was being swept downstream.

In 1933 Douglas White was a boy whose brave efforts to swim to shore after being stranded on a sunker saved the life of his brother and a friend.

The awards presentation will begin at 10::30 am. Award recipients will be available for interviews at 11am. Members of the media wishing to attend the awards presentation should arrive at Government House by 10:00 am for set up.

The LIFESAVING SOCIETY is

Canada

’s Lifeguarding Expert. The Society is a national charitable organization working to prevent drowning and water related injury through it’s training programs, Water Smart® public education campaign and aquatic safety management services. The Society certifies over 200,000 people in its lifesaving, lifeguarding and leadership courses annually.

For more information, contact Jeanette Jobson, Executive Director 709-576-1953. Full details of the rescues are here.

Beginning July 1, 2004 the Lifesaving Society will introduce the revised National Lifeguard Service (NLS) Awards. As of that date all NLS courses and recertifications must be taught using the new National Lifeguard Service Award Guide. When the awards were piloted, the feedback from instructors, candidates and programmers was very positive and exciting. They liked the changes and looked forward to the launch.

Benefits and Highlights
This notice will provide you with the information you need to deliver the revised NLS Awards in your community. Highlights of this information include:
· single launch date for all of Newfoundland and Labrador
· pre-requisite changes to better prepare NLS candidates for success in the NLS course
· update process for NLS Instructors and Instructor Trainers
· inventory management suggestions

The Lifesaving Society revised the NLS Awards in coordination with the Bronze Award Revisions. The Bronze Award Revisions included changes that not only enhance the training of lifesavers, but also provide an improved foundation for candidates continuing on to the NLS awards and lifeguarding. The NLS Award takes advantage of Bronze Cross changes such as adult, child and infant CPR and expanded aquatic spinal skills including deep water support and carry, and nonbreathing victims.

The NLS Award Revisions included a wide ranging research and consultation process that included:
· discussions with our customers
· consultations with NLS Instructors, Trainers and Aquatic Programmers
· review of the Society’s extensive Drowning Research
· review of other relevant research such as first aid standards, fitness standards, student safety, etc.
· pilot testing of the proposed revisions to the award items

The intent of this research and consultation was to design a program that was challenging and relevant to the needs of our customers. The feedback from the pilot courses tells us we were successful.

When do I have to deliver the revised NLS Awards? – July 1, 2004
Beginning on July 1, 2004; all NLS courses and recertification exams must be taught and evaluated using the new NLS Award Guide for the revised NLS Awards.

Lifesaving Society Affiliate Members are responsible for ensuring that the NLS Instructors teaching NLS Awards and NLS Instructor Trainers teaching NLS Instructor courses at their facility have attended a NLS Instructor Update.

NLS Instructor and Instructor Trainer Updates
All NLS Instructors and Instructor Trainers will be required to attend an update clinic in May or June 2004. This update will provide them with the new NLS Award Guide, NLS Course Lesson Plans and administrative policies required to teach and evaluate the NLS Awards. Beginning in July, the 4 NLS Awards (Pool, Waterpark, Waterfront and Surf) must be taught by updated NLS Instructors. The NLS Instructor course will be taught by updated NLS Instructor Trainers.
If a NLS Instructor or Instructor Trainer has not attended the update by July 1, 2004; the instructor or IT will not be permitted to teach or evaluate the NLS Awards until he has completed the update process.

NLS Instructor Courses
NLS Instructor courses must be registered with the Lifesaving Society well in advance of the planned course dates. This permits the Society to notify eligible students for your course and ensure that your IT has been updated and course materials are ready for your course. NLS Instructor courses in 2004 must be taught using the revised NLS course materials and content by a NLS IT who has completed an update. Please do not schedule NLS Instructor courses until after July 1, 2004.

First Aid Award Prerequisite
Effective July 1, 2004; the prerequisites for NLS Pool candidates are:
· age 16 by the last day of the course
· Bronze Cross – does not have to be current
· current Standard First Aid Award – recommend Aquatic Emergency Care (AEC) or Lifesaving Standard First Aid (LSFA) (where available)

NLS Candidates will benefit from the Standard First Aid Award prerequisite because the NLS Instructor will be able to focus more time and effort on key lifeguarding skills that prevent injuries as well as teamwork and lifeguard emergency response. This change was strongly recommended by NLS Instructors and Affiliates during the revisions input process. The prerequisite also recognizes that in many jurisdictions such as Newfoundland and Labrador, lifeguards must hold a current Standard First Aid Award as part of their lifeguard certification requirements.

The Lifesaving Society recommends that affiliates offer the AEC or LSFA Awards to prepare candidates for the NLS Awards. These awards have the advantage that they can be co-delivered with the NLS Award. This provides the opportunity to offer an AEC/NLS or LSFA/NLS course that provides one-stop shopping and excellent customer service. Most NLS Instructors are already AEC or Lifesaving First Aid Instructors.

Prerequisite for NLS Waterpark
The prerequisite for the NLS Waterpark option will be the NLS Pool Option. This recognizes that Waterpark lifeguards need the same skills as NLS Pool lifeguards with additional waterpark knowledge and skills. The NLS Waterpark module is shortened to approximately 10 - 12 hours to reflect the NLS Pool prerequisite training. Affiliates have the option to offer a combined NLS Pool and Waterpark course. The Waterpark option is taught by NLS Waterpark Instructors.

NLS Waterfront
The prerequisite for the NLS Waterfront course has not changed. Candidates for the NLS Waterfront course must hold another NLS Award such as NLS Pool. The Waterfront option is taught by NLS Waterfront Instructors.

Inventory Management
In anticipation of the release of the revised NLS Awards, the Lifesaving Society has been directing affiliates to not retain any inventory of NLS Course Packages. For courses in Mayl to June 2004, please immediately return any unused NLS course packages after the course is completed. The course materials for all NLS courses will change with the revised NLS awards. The June 2004 Lifesaving Society Affiliate Member Program and Product Price List will reflect these changes.

Conclusion
The Lifesaving Society is the only national standard setting organization for lifeguarding in Canada. As the standard setter, the Society is committed to the ongoing review, evaluation and improvement of our standards and training program for lifeguards and their employers. The revised awards are part of the Society’s commitment to continuously review and enhance the best lifeguard training program in the world. The Lifesaving Society is internationally recognized as a leader in lifeguard training and aquatic safety standards. The NLS Award revisions continue this leadership. As you plan for the July 1 implementation of the revised NLS Awards, please contact the Lifesaving Society if you have any questions.

Commonwealth Honour & Rescue Awards Ceremony