Training And Skills

Training days and times have not yet been decided for the new academic year. The website will be updated when training times are decided. Training is split between dry and wet sessions, where the relevant skills are taught and reviewed.

You can also find a range of training aids, documents and awards information including the Bronze Medallion, Life Support and NPLQ. Information presented during training sessions will also be uploaded in the ‘Training Archive’ so you can look back through missed sessions or revise your knowledge.

Dry and Wet Training

Dryside is more theory based and is where we learn and practice first aid skills. In order to learn and compete effectively members will be expected to train towards their Life Support Award as a basis for their first aid skills. The basic skills we learn include dealing with bleeds, burns, broken bones, various medical conditions as well as adult, child and baby CPR. To hone our skills we practice working in teams; dealing with mock scenarios in the form of Simulated Emergency Rescue Competitions (SERCs).

Wetside is the more physically demanding side of training. As part of this we learn and practice various rescue techniques for helping people in trouble in water. We also learn personal safety and develop our fitness and team working skills through a variety of fun and interesting training situations. The club aims for all members to take and pass their Bronze Medallion within their first year. The events we practice for in particular are: the line throw, swim and tow, medley relay, obstacles, manikin carry, and the SERC.

Awards Information

The Bronze Medallion, Life Support 1, Life Support 3 and the NPLQ.

Life Support

The Life Support award considers an unresponsive adult. It teaches you how to treat them whether or not they are breathing. This involves the recovery position or CPR respectively. It also considers three of the major causes of unconsciousness (besides a heart attack), namely choking bleeding and shock. Learning how to deal with each of these situations will allow you to be able to dramatically reduce the chances of you having to use CPR.

Life Support 3

Having completed the Life Support award, you are then free to go onto Life Support 3. What happened to Life Support 2, I hear you cry? Well, Life Support 3 refers to the number of different casualties you will be able to treat: adults, children and babies with each age representing a variation in the skills required. The award also looks at the causes, diagnosis and treatment of hypothermia, cardiac arrest, drowning, bleeding, choking and shock. Having completed Life Support 3, you will be entitled to a three hour exemption from your NPLQ training hours.

Lifesaving Awards

Lifesaving awards are the backbone of the club. We currently offer five awards, which will take you from being a complete beginner to an expert lifesaver.

Bronze Medallion

The first assessment you can take upon joining the club will be for the RLSS’s flagship award: the Bronze Medallion. Not only will this teach you the basic skills essential to succeeding in the other awards and the sport, it also entitles you to twelve hours exemption from the NPLQ Lifeguarding qualification. Completed in the pool, the course covers the following areas:

• Land‐based rescues (such as a reaching or throwing rescue);

• Non‐contact rescues (swimming with a rescue aid);

• Contact rescues (swimming and towing with no aids available);

• Resuscitation rescues (when the casualty has stopped breathing); and

• Initiatives.

Award of Merit

Upon completion of the Bronze Medallion (and the Life Support award), you will be entitled to sit your Award of Merit. This is the next step beyond the Bronze Medallion with candidates required to swim further, faster, and make fewer mistakes.

Resources

Further information on life support, lifesaving and advanced lifesaving/life support skills for your interest. Documents or presentations developed by our members can also be found here.