Prepare for the Ellis and Associates Lifeguard certification test with these practice questions and answers. This guide covers the 10/20 protection rule, scanning techniques, and rescue procedures.
Q: Primary Check Steps
Answer: 1. Survey Scene2. Gloves3. Check for response4. Activate EAP (911/Trauma Bag)5. Check pulse and breathing
Q: If there is a pulse but no breathing:
Answer: Go into AR (Rescue breathing)
Q: If there is no pulse or breathing:
Answer: CPR
Q: AR breathing for an adult
Answer: 1 breath every 5 seconds; 24 total (2 minutes)
Q: AR breathing for a child/infant
Answer: 1 breath every 3 seconds; 40 total (2 minutes)
Q: AR Steps:
Answer: 1. Open airway2. Breaths (every 5 sec adult, every 3 sec child/infant)3. Visible chest rise4. 2 minutes5. Reassess after 2 mins – Check pulse and breathing
Q: CPR for adults:How many?How long?How deep?Rate?
Answer: 30 compressions, 2 breathesForever2-2.4 inches110 Compressions/min.
Q: CPR for kids/infants:How many? (Team v. single)depth?
Answer: Single = 30 compressions, 2 breathesTeam = 15 compressions, 2 breathes1/3 chest depth
Q: When the chest stops rising
Answer: readjust and try 1 more breath (first times you, second time is them) then proceed to FBAO
Q: FBAO =
Answer: Foreign Body Airway Obstruction
Q: FBAO steps
Answer: 1. Retilt and try again2. 30 compressions (for babies, just below nipple line)3. Check mouth4. Sweep mouth is necessary5. 2 test breaths6. repeat if necessary7. Resume care
Q: Resuming AR after FBAO
Answer: Adults = +5 breathsChild/Infant = +10 breaths
Q: When vomiting occurs
Answer: (If in the middle of AR, keep counting) Put person into recovery position, sweep mouth and resume care
Q: EAP =
Answer: Emergency Action Plan
Q: CAB =
Answer: Prioritize Circulation, Airway and Breathing
Q: PFI =
Answer: Prevent Further Injury
Q: -Glycemia
Answer: Sugar
Q: -Thermia
Answer: Heat
Q: -Volemic Shock
Answer: Fluids
Q: Progression of heat related emergencies
Answer: 1. Heat cramps2. Heat exhaustion3. Heat stroke
Q: Diabetes
Answer: Problems with sugar
Q: Musculoskeletal
Answer: Muscles, bones and joints
Q: Fainting
Answer: A sudden loss of consciousness
Q: Seizures
Answer: Convulsions
Q: Anaphylactic Shock
Answer: Severe allergic reactions
Q: Asthma
Answer: Problems with breathing
Q: Heimlich Maneuver
Answer: Abdominal Thrusts
Q: When Conscious Choking occurs:
Answer: 1. Glove up and activate EAP2. Abdominal thrusts (Back blows/chest thrusts for infants)3. FBAO4. Check pulse and breathing to determine whether AR or CPR is necessary
Q: Rapid Extrications before the backboard
Answer: 1. Whistle, Point, OA, Compact jump2. Execute the appropriate rescue3. Activate EAP (3 whistles, clear pool)4. Spontaneous breath check5. 2 initial breaths6. Age appropriate rescue breathing (1:5 adults, 1:3 children/infants)
Q: Rapid Extrication once at the backboard
Answer: 1. Support the head (onto the black felt)…. Control the board with your outside foot2. Pass an arm up to the secondary guard3. Remove the tube off of yourself and from under the guest4. Clear the secondary’s fingers5. Get out and clear the area6. Each guars grabs an arm and the backboard7. Safely and carefully extricate the guest 6 feet away
Q: Secondary guard during a Rapid Extrication
Answer: 2 whistles, calls 911 and clears pool
Q: Spinal Extrication (Primary lifeguard pre backboard)
Answer: 1. Whistle, point, OA2. Ask “Without shaking your head, can you safely get out”3. Blow whistle 3 times and call for 911 and cleared pool4. Ease in entry5. Clasp the guests hands by the ears and lay guest on back while keeping their head above the water
Q: Spinal Extrication (Secondary lifeguard pre backboard)
Answer: 1. 2 whistles, clear pool “there is an aquatic emergency, please clear the pool”2. Retrieve backboard
Q: Spinal Extrication (backboard)
Answer: 1. Secondary lifeguard gets guests head to the black felt and then takes over vise grip2. Primary straps the guest tightly and re checks straps to make sure they are tight enough3. Primary then takes over grip by making C at the cheek bones while holding them down with the forearm and other hand under backboard4. Secondary lifeguard puts the blue blocks at the same time5. Strap is then placed around the head (move out from middle)6. Primary lifeguard hops out and makes sure area is clear and secondary’s fingers are clear before extrication
Q: The standard of care expected of lifeguards includes:
Answer: 1. Providing swimmer protection consistent with the 10/20 Protection Standard2. Maintaining a professional image3. Maintaining lifeguard skills including rescues performed at a test-ready level
Q: Standard precautions
Answer: measures put in place to reduce the risk of catching diseases
Q: When providing emergency medical care to an injured/ill guest
Answer: Use Personal Protective Equipment,Dispose of infected materials properly,Wash you hands and other areas that may have been exposed to bodily fluids
Q: A typical audit may evaluate what 5 things?
Answer: 1. Your professionalism and on-stand performance2. Your ability to remain vigilant3. Your ability to protect yourself from the environment4. Your level of rescue readiness5. Your ability to function within your facility’s emergency action plan
Q: The 10/20 Protection Plan means
Answer: while scanning a zone, the lifeguard has 10 seconds to recognize that a guest is in distress, ad an additional 20 seconds to reach the guest and perform a rescue
Q: Ways to help fight fatigue while on stand
Answer: Change your position, posture ad perspective on your zone, as well as your scanning pattern
Q: “Silent” drowning is also known as
Answer: Passive drowning
Q: In Passive drowning
Answer: Guests in distress slip quickly below the surface, and do not follow the drowning process
Q: The stages of the Drowning Process in order
Answer: 1. Surprise2. Respiratory Arrest3. Unconsciousness4. Hypoxic Convulsions5. Cardiac Arrest6. Death
Q: Shallow Water Blackout
Answer: The practice of extended underwater breath holding by hyperventilating beforehand that can result in a sudden loss of consciousness
Q: Raised clenched fist
Answer: Lifeguard needs assistance
Q: Crossed arms above the head
Answer: Stop dispatch/activity (generally used on slides, tube rides or other water attractions)
Q: Thumbs up
Answer: Bottom’s clear/resume activity
Q: Tapping the top of your head
Answer: Watch my zone
Q: An Assist
Answer: Occurs when you help a guest get to the surface or pool deck without losing your 10/20
Q: A Rescue
Answer: Occurs when you have to lose your 10/20 by jumping in to help the guest reach the surface or pool deck
Q: A lifeguard rotation occurs when
Answer: When one lifeguard replaces and takes zone responsibilities from another guard.
Q: The objective of all lifeguard rotations are
Answer: 1. To allow uninterrupted scanning of the zone2. For incoming and outgoing lifeguards to perform a proactive bottom scan of the zone
Q: The golden rule of guest relations
Answer: “Treat guests as you would like to be treated – with RESPECT”
Q: When the guest is on the surface facing you
Answer: Front Drive
Q: When the guest is on the surface and facing away from you
Answer: Rear Hug
Q: When the guest is too active for one lifeguard to rescue safely, and another lifeguard is able to assist
Answer: Two-Guard Rescue
Q: The Duck Pluck allows you to
Answer: Remain on the surface of the water , with your rescue tube between you and the guest, while brining a submerged guest to the surface
Q: If you cannot reach a submerged guest from the surface of the water (they are beyond arms reach)
Answer: You will need to perform a Deep-Water Rescue
Q: An unconscious guest may have occasional gasping breaths called
Answer: Agonal Breaths
Q: Agonal Breaths
Answer: Occasional gasping breaths that occur in the first few minutes cardiac arrest – these ineffective breaths should not be confused with adequate breathing
Q: Used to assist an unconscious guest who begins to vomit
Answer: Recovery Position
Q: Recovery Position does what
Answer: Allows for drainage of fluids from the mouth
Q: To provide Rescue Breathing, How many breaths to an adult and how many for infants and children
Answer: 1 breath for every 5 seconds for an adult and every 3 seconds for infants and children
Q: To perform the Heimlich Maneuver
Answer: 1. Stand behind the guest in a stance that enables you to support them2. Make a fist and place it just above the guest’s belly button3. Grasp the fist with your other hand and press into the guest’s abdominal using quick inward and upward thrusts (In a “J” motion)
Q: The most common problem rescuers face when using a rescue mask is
Answer: the inability to maintain both a proper seal and an open airway while providing rescue breaths
Q: To care for a conscious infant with an obstructed airway
Answer: Provide back blows and chest thrusts
Q: Device used to remove the fluid/vomit from a unconscious guest’s mouth during care
Answer: Suction Device
Q: BVM
Answer: Bag-Valve-Mask
Q: How do BMV’s work
Answer: Used to provide breaths to a non-breathing guest by attaching a resuscitation mask to one end of a self-refilling bag and the other end of the bag to the oxygen tank
Q: Regardless of the size of the BMV used
Answer: gently squeeze the bag enough to provide visible chest rise
Q: Refers to the heart
Answer: Cardio
Q: Refers to the lungs
Answer: Pulmonary
Q: CPR is a combination of what?
Answer: Chest compressions and rescue breaths
Q: Before contacting the guest during CPR
Answer: Asses the scene safety first (fires, wires, glass and gas) and glove up
Q: Check responsiveness by
Answer: Tapping the guest and shouting, “Are you okay?”
Q: To check for pulse and breathing in adults and children
Answer: Place fingers on carotid artery
Q: To check pulse and breathing in infants
Answer: Place middle fingers on the brachial artery
Q: An infant is considered any guest between what ages
Answer: birth and 1 year
Q: Reasons to stop one-rescuer CPR
Answer: 1. AED arrives2. EMS shows up3. You get tired4. They show signs of life5. Decapitation
Q: When using an AED, make sure the guests chest is
Answer: Bare and Dry
Q: Tools in the AED’s “ready kit”
Answer: Scissors, towel, and razor
Q: For every minute ___________ is delayed while a guest is in cardiac arrest, the guest’s chances of survival decreases from 7% to ____
Answer: Defibrillation10%
Q: Can be used when a guest is found unresponsive on the surface of the water
Answer: Unresponsive Rear Hug
Q: For the Unresponsive Duck Pluck
Answer: Grab the guest’s arm or hand and pull the guest to the surface onto the tube. Carefully roll the guest onto his or her back while maintaining control of the tube
Q: For an unconscious guest, once you have placed the guest on to tube
Answer: Activate your EAP and clear the pool
Q: After you activate EAP and clear the pool
Answer: Determine if the guest is not breathing with a spontaneous breath check
Q: After you perform the spontaneous breath check
Answer: Seal your mask to the guests face, open the airway, and give 2 rescue breaths. Then start rescue breathing until the guest can be removed from the water
Q: The process of using a backboard and trained rescuers to quickly remove an unconscious guest from the water
Answer: Rapid Extrication
Q: Care for a spinal injury involves
Answer: Spinal Motion Restriction
Q: SMR
Answer: Spinal Motion Restriction; “I HAVE SMR!”
Q: Spinal Motion Restriction
Answer: Restricting movement of the guest’s head, neck, back and pelvis to prevent possible further damage to the spine or spinal chord
Q: One method that is used in the water to maintain SMR
Answer: The vise grip
Q: The Vise Grip is accomplished by
Answer: Placing the guest’s arms against his or her head
Q: First step when dealing with open wounds
Answer: Take standard safety precautions before touching the guest
Q: How to treat open wounds
Answer: 1. Place a gauze pad over the open wound and apply pressure.2. Use a gauze roll to bandage the wound holding the dressing in place. This will maintain pressure and help keep the wound clean
Q: To care for burns
Answer: 1. Stop the burning process!! Can be done by applying cool water.2. Remove any jewelry or smoldering clothes3. Do NOT pop blisters
Q: To care for nosebleeds
Answer: 1. Have guest sit down and lean slightly forward2. Have guest pinch the nostrils together at the bridge of their own nose for 5-10 minutes3. Activate you EAP to summon EMS if the bleeding cannot be controlled or if guest has a related medical condition
Q: Signs/symptoms of Muscle, Bone and Joint injuries
Answer: PainTendernessInability to move the affected areaDeformitySwellingBruisingExposed bone ends
Q: A heart attack occurs when
Answer: the blood supply to the heart is severely reduced or stopped, and the heart tissue dies
Q: Symptoms of a heart attack
Answer: Chest pressure or pain that lasts longer than a few minutes, and may spread to the shoulders, neck, jaw, or arms
Q: A stroke occurs when
Answer: When blood flow to a part of the brain is disrupted due to blocked or ruptured arteries in the brain
Q: Symptoms of a stroke
Answer: Weakness or numbness on one side of the bodyVision problemsProblems speakingDizziness or loss of balanceConfusionSudden severe headache
Q: Severe allergic reactions are known as
Answer: Anaphylaxis
Q: Anaphylaxis is a form of
Answer: Shock and can be life threatening
Q: Symptoms of Anaphylaxis
Answer: Hives spreading over the bodySwelling of the face, neck, mouth and tongueChest tightnessShortness of breathLoss of consciousnessRespiratory Arrest
Q: Guests who faint often regain consciousness after
Answer: Laying in a horizontal position which allows more blood and oxygen to return to the brain
Q: If you are caring for a conscious guest with a history of diabetes and you are unsure which type of diabetic emergency you are facing
Answer: treat the guest by providing sugar
Q: Signs of Asthma include
Answer: Difficulty breathingRapid shallow breathingCoughingWhistling or high pitched wheezingFatigue
Q: 7 steps to care for a guest that has become overheated (heat related emergencies)
Answer: 1. have the guest stop any tiring activity, and rest in a cool location2. Have the guest gently stretch any affected muscles if heat cramps are suspected3. Remove any heavy or restrictive clothing4. Provide cool water or a sports drink if the guest is alert and not nauseous5. Fan the guest and apply cool, wet towels or sheets6. Place ice packs at the armpits, groin or sides of the neck if the guest has a decreased level of consciousness7. If the guest’s condition does not improve quickly, activate you EAP to summon EMS
Q: To care for poisoning by ingestion
Answer: Determine the type and quantity of poison ingested and at what time, then place the guest in the recovery position. If the guest is vomiting, use suction to help keep the airway clean and proceed to activate your EPS to summon EMS
Q: 3 type of heat related emergencies
Answer: Heat CrampsHeat ExhaustionHeat Stroke
Q: AR
Answer: Artificial Respiration – also known as rescue breathing
Q: Rescue Breathing (AR)
Answer: the method of providing rescue breaths for a non-breathing guest
Q: Scanning
Answer: Moving your head and eyes throughout the top, middle, and bottom layers of a zone, while maintaining the 10/20 or 10/3 Protection Standard
Q: Protection Standard for open water lifeguards and what it means
Answer: 10/3 – 10 seconds to spot problem and 3 minutes to get to it; they may release their rescue tube and use specialized rescue and communication equipment
Q: Vigilance Awareness training can come in the forms of
Answer: Silhouettes, Mannequins, or live guests in distress
Q: The 2 most important things necessary to prevent drownings
Answer: 1. Maintain 10/20 by continuously scanning your zone2. Remaining vigilant by frequently changing your body position and scanning patterns
Q: _________ _________ ________ is not about “gotcha”, its about catching you doing the right thing
Answer: Vigilance Awareness Training
Q: Vigilance Awareness Training’s 2 main goals
Answer: 1. “If you don’t know…. GO!!”2. “When in doubt….. Check it out!!”