Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service, Halifax, NS

Nova Scotia is divided into regional areas. Each area has a Regional Area Supervisor who helps train staff, maintains equipment and ensures quality supervision on each beach. Beach Captains (senior lifeguards) are in charge of the daily operations of the beach, ensure operational policies and procedures are followed, set up work and break schedules and ensures staff inservice training is complete. The number of lifeguards required for each beach depends on the size of the supervised area and the number of people who visit the beach. In total, NSLS supervises 17 provincial park beaches in Nova Scotia, supervises 6 other beach sites through municipal agreements, 1 beach through a federal agreement and provides consultation services to other municipal lifeguard agencies such as Richmond County Recreation, Kings County Recreation, Yarmouth Leisure Services, Cape Breton Regional Municipality, and Antigonish County Recreation. Potential lifeguards apply to the NSLS in early February. The lifeguarding season runs from the end of June to the end of August. Applicants must possess the National Lifeguard certification, a Standard First Aid course, and Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) level C. As part of the selection process, applicants must complete a timed 500 metre swim, a timed 3.2 kilometre run, and a timed standardized 50 metre Manikin Carry event (according to Lifesaving Society Standards). The Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service strives to staff its beaches with local lifeguards. If there is no qualified local staff available, the NSLS will hire staff from other areas and provide living accommodations and/or travel subsidy.