American Red Cross Lifeguarding Certification Course - Fall 2026

About this event

American Red Cross In-Person Lifeguarding Course

Participants will be required to complete an online session prior to the first day of the cours e on Friday November 20th . All participants are required to be at least 15 years of age before the final day of the course (November 22nd, 2026).

Prerequisite 1: Complete a swim-tread-swim sequence without stopping to rest:

• Jump into the water and totally submerge, resurface then swim 150 yards using the front crawl, breaststroke or a combination of both. (Swimming on the back or side is not permitted. Swim goggles are allowed.)

• Maintain position at the surface of the water for 2 minutes by treading water using only the legs.

• Swim 50 yards using the front crawl, breaststroke or a combination of both.

Prerequisite 2: Complete a timed event within 1 minute, 40 seconds:

• Starting in the water, swim 20 yards. (The face may be in or out of the water. Swim goggles are not allowed.)

• Surface dive (feet-first or head-first) to a depth of 7 – 10 feet to retrieve a 10-pound object.

• Return to the surface and swim 20 yards on the back to return to the starting point, holding the object at the surface with both hands and keeping the face out at or near the surface.

• Exit the water without using a ladder or steps.

After successfully completing the prerequisite swimming skills evaluation you will alternate between the classroom and water as you learn and practice lifeguarding and First Aid/CPR/AED skills. Participants will be required to attend all in-person sessions of the course.

Course Dates & Times:

• Friday, November 20th - 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

• Saturday, November 21st - 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

• Sunday, November 22nd - 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

At the end of your final in-person session you will take a 50 question written exam and a 3 final skills assessment to evaluate your individual rescue skills, and your ability to perform a rescue as part of a team and your surveillance and rotation skills. The final skills assessment will include:

• An individual, timed response; you will perform a submerged rescue in followed by extrication, rapid assessment (with two ventilations) and 3 minutes of single-rescuer CPR.

• Surveillance skills: Rotate to the lifeguard station, conduct surveillance, and then rotate out of the station.

• Multiple Rescuer response; you will perform a submerged rescue, extricate the person followed by work with a team of other rescuers to demonstrate clear communication and critical thinking ability while providing care using BVM, CPR and AED. You will be evaluated on both individual performance, and overall team response performance.

Registrations are non-transferable. Please review all class information prior to registering.

From Beacon Health & Fitness - Kalamazoo