Programs

Any person that is interested in employment with the City of Akron will be certified at no charge. You will need to have submitted your application for a lifeguard position in order for the fees to be waived. Please call Rachel at (330)375-2853 for any questions.

The Lifeguarding course provides participants the knowledge and skills to prevent recognize and respond to aquatic emergencies in both shallow water (less than 7 feet) and deeper water (7 feet or more) and to provide professional-level care for breathing and cardiac emergencies injuries and sudden illnesses until EMS personnel take over. This class is taught in a blended learning format and the assigned online portion(s) (accessed via mobile desktop or tablet) must be completed prior to each instructor-led session. Participants who successfully complete this course receive an American Red Cross certificate for Lifeguarding (including deep water) with CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers and First Aid valid for 2 years.

Pre-test in order to be permitted to take the class: 1. Participant must be a minimum age: 15 years old; 2. Complete a swim- tread-swim sequence: Jump into the water submerge resurface swim 150 yards (using the front crawl breaststroke or a combination of both) maintain position at the surface of the water for 2 minutes by treading water using only the legs then swim 50 yards using the front crawl breaststroke or a combination of both. 3. Complete a timed event within 1 minute 40 seconds by starting in the water swimming 20 yards surface dive (feet-first or head-first) to a depth of 7 to 12 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 hand exit the water without using a ladder or steps.