Bahrain’s beaches and pools will be a little safer thanks to 15 more Bahrainis who are diving into a lifeguard training course starting in November.
The Future Lifeguard Training Programme and Lifeguard Development Programme will be run by the Royal Life Saving Bahrain (RLSB), in co-operation with Tamkeen, and set to conclude next February.
Spanning three months, the aim is to recruit Bahraini lifeguards and develop their swimming and lifesaving skills further, as the kingdom gets set to audit hotels next month to ensure they match the highest international pool and beach safety standards.
Mr Rahman
RLSB general manager Sam Rahman stated that applicants will go through an interview process that will test various competencies. “We will test their skills, including their English language comprehension, during the application process,” Mr Rahman told the GDN.
“It will be fully funded by Tamkeen and certified by the RLSB in accordance with international standards.
“We will teach them how to swim, how to conduct themselves, and will prepare them to become fully-fledged lifeguards. Around 100 people are expected to apply, but there is space for only 15 since this is an intensive course.”
The Future Lifeguard Training Programme will be geared towards graduates who are ready to enter the sector. It includes swimming lessons, fitness and nutrition, conflict resolution, first aid, advanced life support and teamwork and leadership.
Trainees will be certified as both pool and beach lifeguards in what will be a full-time three-month-long course.
The first batch of 15 Bahraini lifeguards completed the course in May, and some have taken up lifeguard jobs in hotels and beaches, while others used the training they received to secure jobs in other sectors.
Meanwhile, the Lifeguard Development Programme will include the same training, but is mainly aimed at existing Bahraini lifeguards in order to help them develop and polish their skills. It will be held twice a week for three months.
Due to popular demand, Mr Rahman stated that starting next year, the course will be held around four times a year to help train even more Bahrainis in the sector.
“We expect a bigger demand due to the new mandatory lifeguard requirements and hotel audits starting next month,” he said. “The course will be challenging, as it needs to be, but it is a rewarding career.
“The previous course is already bearing fruit, with many Bahrainis now employed as lifeguards in hotels and beaches around the country. I’m confident that the next batch will be just as ready to save lives as the previous ones.”
This month marked six years since the RLSB first launched the Beach Lifeguard Service at Budaiya Beach on September 15.
It was the first time that the red and yellow flags (the international flag for lifeguards) were raised on a beach in Bahrain.
Since then, the service has grown to 38 full-time employees, including the lifeguard team, 98 per cent of whom are Bahrainis.
They are now stationed at six beaches across Bahrain, seven-days-a-week, 365 days a year. In total, they provide supervision on 7.4km of the kingdom’s coastline.
Since its inception, more than two million people have visited the beaches, and the team has provided first aid thousands of times and rescued more than 1,000 people from drowning.
The GDN recently reported that hotels, resorts and tourism establishments with water activities in Bahrain will undergo audits starting next month to ensure they are all compliant with the latest pool and beach safety standards.
RLSB released new guidelines back in July outlining new safety requirements for both beaches and pools in the country.
A qualified lifeguard must be present during all pool operational hours. If one is not available, the pool must be closed, and guests cannot be allowed access.
Beach lifeguards must be properly trained, equipped with rescue boards/tubes and stationed at designated lookout points. A clear communication and emergency response plan must also be in place.
nader@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))