February 6, 2004  Honour & Rescue Awards at Government House
September 2003   Bronze Revisions Updates
February 7, 2003 - Looking for Experts
December 2, 2002 Test Sheets Available Online
December 2, 2002 Snowmobile Drowning Report
September 2002   Boating Fatalities Report 2002
July 27, 2002 -      National Drowning Prevention Day
June, 2002     -       Lifesaving Society Credit Card Available
June, 2002   -       Rescue 2002 - International Lifesaving Competition
May 4, 2001 -       CPR Update in Adobe Acrobat Format

The June 2001 an 8 page document titled “Canadian Lifesaving Program and Guidelines 2000" was distributed and made available on the Society's website. The intent of the Guidelines 2000 resource was to provide Lifesaving, AEC and NLS Instructors with the information necessary to apply the new Heart and Stroke Foundation Canada resuscitation guidelines within the existing Canadian Lifesaving Program. It provides the information to be used to teach and evaluate rescue breathing, obstructed airway procedures and single rescuer CPR within Swim Patrol, the Bronze Awards, AEC and NLS.

Implementing the new guidelines just requires that the instructor read the resource - “Canadian Lifesaving Program and Guidelines 2000" and make sure she is familiar with the new versions of the skills that apply to the Bronze Awards. Then start teaching and examining to the new guidelines. It is just that easy.

What about this Update Clinic?

In 2003 the Lifesaving Society will introduce revisions to the Bronze Medallion and Cross Awards. The biggest change will be the addition of more resuscitation skills including infant rescue breathing, CPR and obstructed airway procedures as well as 2 rescuer CPR skills for adult, child and infant victims.

In 2003, the Lifesaving Society will begin updating Lifesaving Instructor Trainers (ITs) to train Lifesaving Instructors to teach and evaluate the full range of Basic life Support resuscitation skills - rescue breathing, single and 2 rescuer CPR and obstructed airway procedures for adult, child and infant victims. All skill standards are based on the 2000 Guidelines. Instructor Trainers will deliver a 3 hour CPR Update Clinic for Lifesaving Instructors.

The purpose of the new CPR Update Clinic is to prepare Lifesaving Instructors to teach the 2 rescuer and infant skills when the new Bronze Awards are introduced. The CPR Update Clinic also provides instructors with an opportunity to explore teaching strategies in addition to reviewing and practising their own CPR skills. The clinic can be offered as a separate clinic for recertification credit or included with a Lifesaving Instructor course.

To ensure that Lifesaving Instructors will be ready to teach the new CPR content when the revised Bronze Awards are introduced, the CPR Update Clinic is a mandatory clinic to recertify the Lifesaving Instructor certification. The clinic is worth 2 credits. Over the next 6 months, all Lifesaving Instructors will need to complete the CPR Update Clinic.

Lifesaving CPR Instructor

Lifesaving Instructors who complete the CPR Update Clinic will receive an immediate bonus in addition to the 2 Lifesaving Instructor recertification credits. They will receive a Lifesaving CPR Instructor award and will be certified to teach and evaluate the new Lifesaving CPR courses. Lifesaving Instructors who do not need to recertify until 2004 or later may want to attend a CPR Update Clinic this year. This provides the benefit of being able to begin teaching the new Lifesaving CPR courses immediately.

Lifesaving CPR Courses

The Society now offers 4 CPR courses as separate awards that are not required to be linked to aquatic environments or other training or awards. The 4 CPR courses are Lifesaving CPR A, B, C and D. These courses are taught by Lifesaving CPR Instructors. Lifesaving CPR courses include the standards based on Heart & Stroke Foundation Canada guidelines required for equivalency with other CPR A, B, C and D courses.

· Lifesaving CPR A - teaches lay rescuer skills for adult victims - single rescuer CPR, conscious and unconscious obstructed airway management.

· Lifesaving CPR B - includes all CPR A skills at the targeted responder level plus additional content selected by the students or the course provider. Example: add child skills for school teachers.

· Lifesaving CPR C - teaches targeted responder skills for all 3 victim types: adult, child and infant victims - single and two rescuer CPR, conscious and unconscious obstructed airway management.

· Lifesaving CPR D -  teaches targeted responder skills for child and infant victims - single rescuer CPR, conscious and unconscious obstructed airway management.

Do I Have to Teach the New Lifesaving CPR Courses?

No. It is your choice whether you teach the new CPR courses or just continue to teach the Canadian Lifesaving Program - Swim Patrol and Bronze.

Individuals, businesses, aquatic facilities and branches of the Lifesaving Society will be participating in National Drowning Prevention Day in all provinces across Canada on July the fourth Saturday of July, with a variety of events, displays and information available, to bring water safety awareness to the nation.

• Men represent 92% of drownings while women represent 8%. 
• In the 15-49 age group, 9 out of 10 drowning fatalities are male. 
• Almost 83% of all drowning fatalities are in the prime of life, aged 18-64 . 

•  40% of drownings occur in the fall and winter, with spring and summer claiming 
•       another 60%.
• 50% of drownings occur on weekends - Saturday, in the afternoon, being the high-risk time.
•  June and July are the high-risk months for water-related fatalities in NF & Labrador, followed closely by October and November.

•  Most drownings occur in rural settings.
•  Most drownings occur on the ocean (60%), followed by lakes and ponds.(23%)
•  100% of drowning deaths occur in situations where there is no lifeguard supervision. 

• 58% of drowning fatalities were not wearing a life jacket. 58% of victims were engaged in recreation activities at the time of incident.
• Consumption of alcohol is a factor in 25% of water-related deaths among adults aged 18-64.
• Drownings among toddlers occur most often when the young child is left unattended.
• Many of those who died in water did not even expect to get wet.
• 75% of drowning fatalities knew how to swim, so learning to swim is not enough.
• 4 out of 10 fatalities are alone when they drown.
• Capsizing, swamping or falling overboard was involved in 83% of fatal boating incidents.

 For more details on the projects and positions, contact the Branch Office.

2003
CANADIAN LIFEGUARD CHAMPIONSHIPS 
and
Junior Lifeguard Games

The where, when, and how for getting involved in lifesaving competition & sport in Canada.

 Lifeguard Competitions 2003
CLC Handbook 2003
JLC Handbook 2003
2002 CLC results - pool, surf and international

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LIFESAVING SOCIETY MASTERCARD

The Newfoundland and Labrador Branch of the Lifesaving Society is pleased to be able to offer members the opportunity to help promote drowning prevention by obtaining a new Lifesaving Society Mastercard from MBNA.  A percentage of dollars spent with this affinity card will go directly to the Lifesaving Society for use in Water Smart activities.

Download the application form here.

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