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East Bay Regional Park District
Lifeguard Academy
While running off the dock at Cull Canyon, a child slipped and hit their head. They submerged and
have not returned to the surface. What technique should you use to hold in line stabilization?
1) Head and Chin Support
The most common closed wound is a __________________, or bruise. Bruises generally do not
require special medical care. When caring for internal bleeding, name 7 symptoms that require the
lifeguard to summon more advanced medical care.
a) Victim complains of severe pain or cannot move a body part without pain
b) The force that caused the injury was great enough to cause serious damage
c) An injured extremity is blue or pale
d) The victim has excessive thirst, becomes confused, faint, drowsy or unconscious
e) The victim is vomiting or coughing blood
f) The victim has skin that feels cool or moist or looks pale or bluish
g) The victim has a rapid, weak pulse
h) The victim has tender, swollen, bruised or hard areas of the body, such as the abdomen
List the three different heat emergencies in order or severity (least severe to most severe). List the
symptoms you would expect to see for each heat emergency.
a) Heat cramps- muscle spasms in legs and abdomen
b) Heat exhaustion- cool, moist, pale skin,
i) Nausea, headache, dizziness
ii) Weakness, exhaustion
iii) Heavy sweating
c) Heat stroke
i) Red, hot dry skin
ii) Changes in LOC
iii) Vomiting
What is a cross bearing? What is it used for? How does it differ from a sighting?
a) A cross bearing is a tool designed to help lifeguards keep track of last seen points of
submerging swimmers.
b) Cross bearings rely on 2 lifeguards getting sightings. Where their sightings overlap should
be the last seen point of the submerged swimmer
When entering the water with a mask and fins, lifeguards should put one hand over the mask while
keeping their elbows close to their chest.
a) True
b) False
You are providing care for a victim of a seizure in the water. List in order the four steps you should
take to appropriately care for the victim
a) Summon EMS personnel.
b) Support the victim with his or her head above water until the seizure ends.
c) Remove the victim from the water as soon as possible after the seizure ends, since he or she
may have inhaled or swallowed water.
d) Place the victim face-up on the deck and perform an initial assessment. Perform rescue
breathing or CPR, if needed. If the victim vomits, turn the victim on his or her side to drain
fluids from the mouth. Sweep out the mouth or suction out the mouth, if trained to do so.
People in shock typically have rapid, weak pulses. What causes their pulse rate to increase? What is
usually the first indicator of shock? List 2 other common symptoms of shock.
a) The heart attempts to compensate for the disruption of blood flow by beating faster. This
causes pulse to seem rapid. As blood is lost though, and blood volume drops, the pulse
becomes weaker.
b) 1st indicator - Restlessness and irritability
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c) Pale or ashen, cool, moist skin
d) Rapid breathing
e) Rapid and weak pulse
f) Changes in LOC
g) Nausea
h) Significant change in Blood Pressure
8) List the four sources of burns. Give an example that would fit each type.
a) Thermal
b) Radiation
c) Chemical
d) Electrical
9) What steps should you follow if someone has been stung by a scorpion?
a) Summon EMS
b) Wash Wound
c) Apply cold pack
d) Give anti venom (if available)
e) Care for life threatening conditions
f) Monitor ABCs
g) Keep Victim Comfortable
10) When rewarming hypothermia victims, should you immerse them in warm water? Why or why not?
a) No, you should never use warm water because that is a form of rapid rewarming. Doing
that could cause dangerous heart rhythms.
11) How does treatment of an electrical burn differ from a heat burn?
a) Do not cool the burn. Because electrical burns usually involve nerve damage, the victim
may not feel pain and cooling the burn achieves little.
b) Be aware that electrocutions can cause cardiac and breathing emergencies. Be prepared to
perform CPR or defibrillation.
12) To care for a stroke, lifeguards should use the acronym _________________. What does each letter
stand for? What should you ask the victim to do?
a) FAST
b) Face- Weakness on one side of face- ask victim to smile, this will show drooping or weakness
c) Arm- Weakness or numbness in one arm- Ask victim to raise both arms, this will show
weakness
d) Speech- Slurred speech or trouble speaking- Ask victim to speak simple sentence, this will
highlight distorted or slurred speech
e) Time- Summon EMS if any signs or symptoms seen- Note time symptoms began
13) Much of the care given to patients in shock helps the body adjust to the stress caused by injury or
illness. Give 3 steps first responders should do when caring for a victim of shock to help make the
patient more comfortable or manage effects of shock. Name 1 thing that should never be done when
caring for a victim of shock.
a) Do:
i) Cover victim to prevent chilling
ii) Elevate legs 12 inches if no spinal injury suspected
iii) Have victim lie down
iv) Comfort and reassure victim
b) Do Not:
i) Give anything to eat or drink
14) What two mnemonics are used for completing a secondary assessment? What does each stand for?
a) DOTS- Deformities, Open Wounds, Tenderness, Swelling
b) SAMPLE- Signs/Symptoms, Allergies, Medications, Past Medical History, Last Oral Intake,
Events Preceding
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15) If the victim of a head, neck or back injury in the water is not breathing, immediately remove the
victim from the water using a backboard.
a) True
b) False
16) When dealing with a scalp injury, apply firm pressure at first because there may be a skull fracture.
a) True
b) False
17) Why are secondary assessments important?
a) Secondary assessments are used to identify and care for conditions that are not life
threatening, but that could become life threatening if not treated.
18) How do you check that a mask fits properly?
a) Place the mask against the face without using the strap.
b) Inhale slightly through the nose to create a slight suction inside the mask.
c) Adjust the strap so that the mask is comfortable.
d) Try the mask in the water.
19) How deep should water be when performing a deep water line search? What equipment should
lifeguards have when performing a deep water line search?
a) Greater than chest deep water
b) Mask and fins
20) A shallow water line search is used to search for missing swimmers in murky, but shallow water. For
this type of search, adult staff members and volunteers hold hands, form a line, and move forward
while sweeping their feet along the bottom
a) True
b) False
21) Name two situations that might cause a lifeguard to use a feet first surface dive.
a) Rescuing a submerged swimmer
b) Searching deep water
22) What is the difference between hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia? Regardless of the type of diabetic
emergency, what could a first responder give to help prevent brain damage or death?
a) Hyperglycemia is when there is too little insulin. Sugar is present in the blood, but cannot
be transported into the cells without insulin.
b) Hypoglycemia is when there is too much insulin and sugar levels in the blood become too
low.
c) Sugar can be given in any diabetic emergency as it will improve the condition of patients
that are hypoglycemic and will not negatively affect the condition of hyperglycemic patients.
23) Signs and symptoms of a possible head, neck or back injury may include—
_√
Blood or other fluids in the ears or nose.
Stomach ache or indigestion.
Broken arm.
_√
Severe pain or pressure in the head, neck or back.
Rapid pulse.
_√
Loss of balance.
Sprained ankle.
_√
Impaired breathing or vision as a result of injury.
No pulse.
_√
Partial or complete loss of movement of any body area.
Pain in the chest.
_√
Tingling or loss of sensation in the hands, fingers, feet or toes.
Slurring of words and weak facial muscles on one side of the face.
_√
Unusual bumps, bruises or depressions on the head, neck or back.
_√
Changes in the level of consciousness.
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_√
Seizures.
_√
Complete or partial inability to move the arms and legs.
24) A feet-first surface dive may need to be performed during an escape.
a) True
b) False
25) Give 3 examples of things first responders can give to individuals suffering from a diabetic illness?
a) Sugar
b) Candy
c) Fruit juice
d) Non diet soft drinks
e) Oral Glucose Gel
26) Insect stings can be fatal for some people who have severe allergic reactions. This reaction may result
in a(n) breathing emergency.
27) The first step in caring for burn victims is to remove victim from source of burn. How would a first
responder remove the victim from the source of a chemical burn?
a) Flush liquid chemicals off the skin with large amounts of cool, running water
b) Brush powdered chemicals off with a gloved hand or cloth, or flush off with large amounts
of cool running water.
28) When splinting arms, lifeguards should splint them in a neutral position. This may require the
lifeguard to move the arm out of the position it was found or position the victim is holding it.
a) True
b) False
29) When doing a head to toe exam, there is one major difference between how to perform the exam on
adults and how to perform the exam on children. What is the difference? Why?
a) With adults you perform a head to toe exam. With children you start the exam at the feet.
This gives the child a change to get familiar and comfortable with the process
30) When using the head and chin support or the head splint technique on a victim of a head, neck or back
injury in shallow water, you should submerge your body to about shoulder depth before touching the
victim.
a) True
b) False
31) List at least five signs and symptoms of hypothermia.
a) Shivering
b) Numbness
c) A glassy stare
d) Apathy
e) Weakness
f) Impaired judgment
g) Loss of consciousness
32) Splinting is a method of immobilizing an injured extremity and should be used only if moving or
transporting a person to seek medical attention and if splinting does not cause further pain.
a) True
b) False
33) With the equipment in the medical response pack, lifeguards can make rigid splints, soft splints and
anatomic splints. Which splint works best for each of the following body parts
a) Leg: Anatomic
b) Ankle: Soft
c) Arm: Rigid
d) Finger: Anatomic
e) Wrist: Rigid
f) Foot: Soft
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34) When you secure someone to a backboard with spider straps, lifeguards always secure the straps in
the same order. What order do you secure spider straps? Where should each strap rest on the victim?
a) Chest Strap- Across Chest, Under armpits, not covering diaphragm
b) Pelvic Strap- Across Hip Bones
c) Thigh Strap- High on thighs
d) Lower Leg Strap- Below Knee
e) V- Strap- Over Shoulders
35) Is it necessary to know what sudden illness a person is suffering from in order to treat them? What
are 5 common signs and symptoms of sudden illness? Give an example of a sudden illness.
a) No, lifeguards often do not know what the sudden illness is, but can still provide care for
symptoms they see
b) Change of LOC, Nausea, Slurred speech or difficulty speaking, numbness, weakness, loss of
vision, changes in breathing, change in skin color, sweating, persistent pain, diarrhea,
seizures, paralysis, and headache.
c) Diabetic emergency, seizure, stroke, allergic reaction, poisoning.
36) If there is a suspected spinal injury in water that is less than 3 feet deep, which in-line stabilization
tactic should not be used?
a) Head and Chin Support
37) Which of the following techniques can be used in the water to minimize movement of the victim’s
head and neck during a suspected head, neck or back injury rescue?
a) Chin splint
b) Head and back support
c) Head splint technique
d) Back splint technique
38) Treatment for severe sunburn requires the lifeguard to cool the burned area, protect from further
damage by keeping the burn out of the sun, and minimizing shock. Lastly, the lifeguard should
maintain the victim’s comfort and reassure the victim.
a) True
b) False
39) Victims with a head, neck or back injury may show specific signs and symptoms, such as—
a) Elevated body temperature.
b) Tingling or loss of sensation in the hands, fingers, feet or toes.
c) Excessive thirst.
d) Painful muscle spasms in the legs and abdomen.
40) What things should you NOT do for a victim of a snake bite?
a) Apply ice
b) Cut the wound
c) Apply suction
d) Apply a tourniquet
e) Use electric shock
41) To care for a major open wound you should follow the general procedures for injury or sudden illness
on land and perform what additional four steps?
a) Cover the wound with a dressing, such as a sterile gauze pad.
b) Apply direct pressure firmly against the wound until bleeding stops.
c) Cover the dressing with a roller bandage and tie the knot directly over the wound.
d) Wash you hands immediately after providing care
42) List three steps you would take to care for bleeding that does not stop from a major open wound after
you have applied the first dressing.
a) Apply additional dressings and bandages on top of the first ones.
b) Take steps to minimize shock.
c) Summon EMS personnel if not already done.
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43) The victim of a heat-related emergency starts to lose consciousness. What should you do after you
summon EMS personnel?
a) Continue to check for breathing and a pulse.
b) Continue to cool the victim by using ice or cold packs on his or her wrists, ankles, groin and neck
and in the armpits.
c) Have the victim sit up.
d) A and B.
44) When doing a head first surface dive in murky water, lifeguards should keep one arm extended over
their head to prevent running head first into the ground.
a) True
b) False
45) Treatment for severe sunburn requires the lifeguard to cool the burned area, protect from further
damage by keeping the burn out of the sun, and minimizing shock. Lastly, the lifeguard should
maintain the victim’s comfort and reassure the victim.
a) True
b) False
46) Once you have finished securing the straps on the backboard over a victim of a head, neck or back
injury in the water, what two things should you recheck?
a) CMSTP
b) Strap Tightness
47) At least 2 lifeguards are needed to strap someone into a backboard.
48) Lifeguards should always assume that a head, neck or back injury occurred in the following
situations—
a) Any head-first entry into shallow water.
b) A fall from a height greater than the victim’s height.
c) An injury involving a diving board or water slide.
d) A person entering the water from a height, such as an embankment, cliff or tower.
49) If a pregnant woman is about to give birth, summon EMS personnel. List five important facts to give
to the dispatcher.
a) The pregnant woman’s name.
b) The woman’s age.
c) The expected due date.
d) How long she has been having labor pains.
e) If this is her first child.
50) If someone is seizing, should you try to restrain them
a) NO
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