The Cortez Recreation Center will be hosting its spring session of its Whistle Ready! lifeguard preparatory classes starting on Thursday, Feb. 20.
Recreation Supervisor Michelle Devall told The Journal that the class take place every Thursday from Feb. 20 to March 13 from 4:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The free registration should be completed before the first class.
The program was created for those who want to work as a lifeguard in Cortez. The Whistle Ready! program helps registered students improve skills like swimming ability and techniques that will be required to pass the American Red Cross lifeguard class prerequisite testing.
“Cortez Aquatics has never offered a lifeguard prep course before, as there historically has never been a need to for skill prep before a class,” Devall told The Journal before the winter session. She explained that this course is perfect for those who may be thinking about lifeguarding as a summer job.
Devall shared that the idea for this class came about because of a lifeguard shortage and a shortage of qualified applicants.
“Since the pandemic, most of the people that have tried out for the lifeguard class have failed the prerequisite swimming requirements to get into a class,” Devall said. “We saw the need to try to help those who wanted to become lifeguards, but didn't have the stamina or proper skills to pass the course prereqs.”
Each night of class will include a different skill that will be required to pass and enroll in the American Red Cross lifeguard class.
According to the ARC, the prerequisite requirements to get into a lifeguard class are to swim 150 yards front crawl and breaststroke only, tread water using just legs for two minutes and swim for another 50 yards without stopping. This portion of the test is not timed.
The last portion requires the retrieval of a submerged object. An individual must start at the shallow end of the pool, swim to the deep end, retrieve a 10-pound brick and return to the starting point in 1 minute, 40 seconds. Each skill will be taught and practiced during the course.
Anyone can participate in the preparatory classes as long as they are 15 years old by June 1 and have basic swimming knowledge or experience.
During the winter course, eight students registered. The maximum number of students accepted per class are 15, and the minimum is three. Out of the eight, five passed the prerequisites following the course’s completion. One registrant never showed up, one got sick halfway through and the third is still training to retrieve the brick, according to Devall.
Registration can be done at the Cortez Rec Center before the first class takes place.
Those with questions can contact Devall at (970) 564-4084 or Ahnna Higgins at (970) 564-4094.
