The City of Santa Fe Recreation Division invites community members aged 15 years and older to register for an American Red Cross Lifeguard Certification Course at the Genoveva Chavez Community Center and get their lifeguard certification in time for summer! Participants interested in working for the City of Santa Fe as lifeguards will receive priority to enroll in the course. 

A successfully completed swimming skills pretest is required for participants prior to enrollment in the certification course. Pretests will be scheduled by appointment from March 9 to 10 and March 13 to 16. The pretest consists of swimming continuously for 300 yards using freestyle and breaststroke combinations with googles; timed brick retrieval without goggles to showcase swimming, diving, and resurfacing skills while holding a 10-lb brick; and treading water with hands under the armpits for two minutes. 

The course will take place with a minimum of three students from Monday, March 20 through Friday, March 24, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. with an hour lunch break. 

The Certification Course provides entry-level lifeguard participants with knowledge and skills to prevent, recognize, and respond to aquatic emergencies for breathing and cardiac emergencies, injuries, and sudden illnesses until emergency medical services personnel take over. This course offers a choice of Lifeguarding, First Aid, CPR, or AED skills training. Attendance to all sessions is required for certification, and participants will receive the Lifeguarding Participants Manual, Universal CPR Masks, and their fees covered for the course. Participants must bring proper swimwear, warm clothes, towels, goggles, pen, pencil, highlighter marker, notebook, tablet, or laptop computer. Snacks and water bottles are encouraged for participants to bring to stay hydrated as they are expected to get in and out of the water throughout the course.

To register, contact Abby Smith at 505-955-4051 or agsmith@santafenm.gov

Click here or on the image below to download the flyer!