McDowell Wellness Center is offering two sessions of American Red Cross lifeguard training.  One will begin on March 15 and another will begin on April 12.  Participants must pass a pre-swim test before beginning the training.

The pre-swim test can be scheduled by appointment only prior to the start date of the class by calling McDowell Wellness Center at (859) 936-9355 or by emailing kcurtsinger@emhealth.org.

In order to pass the pre-test, students must be able to swim a total of 300 yards, consisting of 100 yards freestyle, 100 yards breaststroke, and an additional 100 yards of either freestyle or breaststroke.  Students must also be able to tread water for two minutes and be able to recover an object from the bottom of the pool in a set amount of time.

The training consists of online course work and in-person skill sessions over a period of 10 days. After successful completion of the course, participants will receive certification for Lifeguarding and Professional Rescuer, which includes CPR with AED and First Aid Training.

Anyone interested in the training should register by March 14 for the first class or by April 11 for the second class.  The class fee is $300 and includes participants’ training, lifeguard manuals, CPR face shields, and in-person skill sessions.  Please call Karla Curtsinger at (859) 936-7219 for more information.