Recently, the Park Operations leadership team at Water Country USA got together to recertify our lifeguarding skills. We spent a Saturday at Water Country USA practicing CPR, AED, and First Aid methods. The next day, the group met again to complete the classroom portion of lifeguarding review. Then we headed to the Hampton YMCA to practice those skills in the water.

Water Country USA seems empty when I visit the park. No life vests, tubes, water and especially no guests. Still, we are hard at work getting ready for a fantastic 2012 season.

All of our Water Country USA lifeguards are certified through the American Red Cross. Most of you may know that, but did you know that the American Red Cross visits our park twice a year? During their site visits, they ensure our guards are properly trained and are demonstrating good skills on and off the stand. This week one of the aquatics managers from the national ARC headquarters toured the park as a guest and observed all of our guards.

New this year, Water Country USA will offer a variety of American Red Cross classes to the general public. Our American Red Cross instructors have been teaching our lifeguards for fifteen years and are excited to now have the opportunity to train you.

I’m a mom and that has given me a new perspective on everything I do in my life. I think it makes me better at my job at the water park because I see things through the eyes of mothers and fathers who bring their children to our parks … whether it’s for a fun day in the park or part of their summer vacation.

This weekend the lifeguard instructors at Water Country USA got together to recertify their skills and practice teaching. The team spent the morning reviewing teaching techniques, taking American Red Cross written tests, and demonstrating their CPR/AED skills.

The pools at Water Country USA don’t have any water yet so after lunch the group headed to Midtown Aquatic Center in Newport News. We hopped into the water first to take our swim test. SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment requires a tougher test than American Red Cross.