The following statement regarding the Washington Post story on lifeguard certification may be attributed to the American Red Cross:
“The American Red Cross is proud of our heritage as a leader in water safety, aquatic science, certification, and instruction since 1914, with more than 300,000 lifeguards trained in the Red Cross curriculum each year. Our robust, evidence-based aquatics curriculum is developed by our Training Services department in partnership with the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council – an external group of nationally-recognized specialists, including ten aquatics experts who regularly review the curriculum to ensure that the content reflects the latest science and best practices for water safety.
Our hearts go out to the family of Roxie Forbes. All of us at the Red Cross are deeply saddened by this tragedy. Realizing we are one of many organizations that have an important role to play in water safety, the American Red Cross continues to focus on ensuring that communities nationwide have access to rigorous training programs and proper water safety certification.
The allegations about our training and certification programs include numerous mischaracterizations and distortions. Pool facilities are responsible for the safety of their swimmers and are responsible for the conduct of their lifeguards on the job. A key responsibility of the Red Cross is to provide a science-based, rigorous curriculum.
Red Cross Lifeguard Training Certification
We stand firmly behind the quality of our Red Cross lifeguard training curriculum and believe it is a critical component of our nation’s aquatics safety. The lifeguard training courses are delivered by other entities (e.g., independent businesses, pool facilities, municipal governments, and camps) that are authorized by contract to use the Red Cross curriculum and program guidelines in their training programs. These Licensed Training Providers (LTPs) must deliver the Red Cross course content in compliance with Red Cross standards. This model enables our curriculum to have greater reach through collaboration with other organizations that want to bring these lifesaving skills to their communities.
The lifeguard instructor who trained the lifeguards on duty at the time of the tragic death of Roxie Forbes has admitted to abusing our system, falsifying certification documents and failing to follow the Red Cross lifeguard training curriculum. The instructor was hired by an LTP who was responsible for hiring, training and managing its lifeguards and for ensuring they fulfilled their duties to keep swimmers safe. Upon learning of the Forbes tragedy, the Red Cross immediately conducted a thorough investigation and revoked the lifeguard instructor’s certifications, the certifications of the individuals trained by him, and our agreement with that LTP.
Quality Assurance Measures
The Red Cross requires every instructor to complete comprehensive training and recertify at regular intervals. We also provide a variety of standardized teaching resources, tools, and updates to help instructors stay up-to-date and be effective teachers. Our Training Services Quality Assurance team promptly reviews concerns brought forward by students, instructors, and others in the aquatics community – including the general public. Quality Assurance investigates each concern and determines the appropriate remedial action. The vast majority of concerns involve instructors who inadvertently depart from the curriculum in minor ways; we can often address these issues with coaching or retraining.
In some situations, we engage “secret shoppers” to take an instructor’s class and assess the instructor’s adherence to standards
Our Investments and Longstanding Commitment to Drowning Prevention
As a humanitarian organization, the Red Cross always puts the safety of our employees, volunteers, and those we serve at the forefront of all we do. Funds from our certification programs are directly reinvested to fund an array of programs, including our water safety programs and services like our Aquatics Centennial Campaign, which works to reduce drowning rates in locations where those rates are above the national average.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s data, when looking at Centennial programs as a whole, counties with Red Cross Centennial programs saw an overall 10% decrease in drowning rates versus a 6% decrease nationally. Since the Centennial program’s launch in 2014, more than 144,000 people have enrolled, and Campaign partners have delivered more than 120,000 sets of swim lessons.
As a community, we all play an important role in keeping those in and near the water safe.
As always, the Red Cross remains committed to delivering its mission, including aquatics safety, disaster relief, and blood collections, to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies.”
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.