Licences of Lifesavers

Basic Surf Lifesaver
 This licence is the first step to become a lifesaver. We must take 5days(35hours0)lessons and pass a examination. In the examination, we must show our knowledge we learn about surf, illness, organization of our body or so. In addition to it, we must show our power of swimming in the sea and rescue skill. As fitness test, we must train RUN-SWIM-RUN. I'll show run-swim-run movie. It is hard training for me.

 From rescue perspective, we must not fail, and if we would make mistakes we cannot pass. You can suggest how serious our activities are.
 There also limits to take lessons of basic. We prove our swimming power. 400m within 9minitues and 50m within 40seconds. If ｙou pass exams you can get following licence.

Advanced Surf Lifesaver
 I said to you that basic licence is a start line. Basic level requires a secure rescue, so the limit time in final exam is longer than advanced level. In addition, fitness should be powerful. Basic level is run-swim-run, but advance level needs run-swim-run-board-run-tube-run.
 From rescue perspective, advance level require speed in addition to safety. For that, we practice to catch a wave because catching waves is the fastest way to return to the beach. I'll show the scene of catching wave.　And catching wave is what every lifesaver loves activity.

What We Do in Summer

 Our main activity is watching and rescue on the beach. I do this activity in Otake as Otake Surf Life Saving Club Member. When we rescue someone in surf we need to have license of lifesaver. I will talk about these licenses next next week. Then I will write about what we do in summer.

Early Morning Training
 Our patrol is one day job from 8 to 16. Maybe we rescue at 8... For that we get up at 5, and swim on the sea and ready for one day patrol. Training example menu is "run swim run." In this practice we run 200m and 400m swim and 200m run. It is so hard task. But for someone's life we do our best in the early morning training. And we also check the sea. Then we inform bather about   beach or sea condition.

Beach Patrol
 During patrol we usually on the tower to look around the beach.

When we are on the tower, we can see all around the beach, but we cannot see in detail. Therefore, we walk along the sea to check whether there is patients or not.

Board Patrol
 Above way of patrol is done on the beach. We also patrol with rescue board. When rip current is occurred bathers may not notice it and they may become patients. This is a serious situation. Lifesaver who patrol on the beach take a few times to rescue, then lifesaver patrol in the sea with rescue board.

What Can You Do To Help Someone?

 If you would find someone who lies on the ground and that person may not conscious, what would you do? Can you imagine? This is serious problem. No way you know to save someone, you might not save that person. Even if you call ambulance, they take a few minutes.
 Do you know Golden Hour Principle graph? I'll show that graph! (from http://imnstir.blogspot.com/2011/06/golden-hour-pcinciple.html)

 This vertical line shows you the rate of death and horizontal line shows you minutes. You can get it that a few minutes would choose someone's death. That is to say, a few minutes until ambulance reach that scene would choose someone's death. But if you give lying someone medical treatment, that one can get high rate of revival.
 Then you have a question that what is a medical treatment. Today, I will show you basic life support flow chart. You maybe learn in a driving school.
 I will show you CPR flowchart. (from http://www.defence.gov.au/health/Health-e-checkup/i-HEC_CPR.htm)

  These days, I hear that this flowchart is changed a little, but a general flow doesn't be changed. Therefore, you should remember and master flowchart above. And if you want to practice with mannequins, please send us(dream- tsukuba12[AT]yahoogroups.co.jp) Email and inform that you want to do and have interested in our activity!

Otake Surf Life Saving Club

 We in Tsukuba lifesaving club belong to Otake Surf Life Saving Club. This structure is so difficult that I want to explain to you. In Japan, there are a lot of beach such as Otake, Kashima, Oarai, Yugawara or so. Each beach has lifesavers. This group by beach is big unit of lifesavers. If a lifesaver is a student of university, they also make groups by university. So, When we enter university and decide to belong lifesaving club of that university, they should also make decision which beach groups to belong. To sum up these, big groups of lifesavers are that by beach.
 Today, I want all of you to know about our Otake. First, I'll show our history. Our club was established in 1993. Following photo is one taken in 1993.

 Otake has three big parts to do lifesaving activity. All member choose one committee.

 First, I will talk about Patrol committee. This committee exists to make lifesaving activity in August be safe, so this committee make a lot of chance to learn about First Aid, CPR and how to sort out problem for club member. In June and July, patrol group's member make situation for summer, and they make us to practice rescue any number of time. It is so hard but we must not give up and compromise!!!

 Second, I will talk about Community committee. This committee's purpose is to spread lifesaving activity and contribute to region. For example, we have a chance to teach junior about lifesaving and AED, and become assistant to make marathon be safe.

 Third, I talk about Sport committee. This committee makes training schedule for summer activity or big game. Until now, I explain lifesaving sports to you. For club's improvement, member of this committee encourages members to tae part in games and practice.