Recertifications

 

What’s a recertification?

 

According to the Regulation respecting safety in public baths, some awards are only recognized as work permits if they are recertified after a specific period of time.

A recertification is an examination that evaluates an award holder’s knowledge, skills and physical fitness. Its purpose is to ensure that award holders are still able to properly perform their duties without having to follow an entire training again. Participants must therefore be prepared accordingly.

The following lifesaving awards can be recertified:

Recertification by the credit system

  • Aquatic Emergency Care Instructor
  • National Lifeguard Instructor (all options)
  • Trainer (all options)

Any other lifesaving award must be updated by retaking the whole course, or by recertifying prerequisites.

On your marks, get set, requal =" Know everything and get ready for your next requal!

 

In-person recertification process

To recertify your award, register with one of the Lifesaving Society’s numerous affiliated aquatic facilities. It is important to plan your award recertification two or three months ahead, since expiration dates can by no means be postponed, not even for a day.

 

If you recertify your award up to three months before it expires, the new expiration date will be based on the previous one instead of the recertification date. For example, if your National Lifeguard award expires in December 2015 and is recertified it in September 2015, your award will be valid until December 2017.

Lifesaving award validity:

  • Bronze Medallion: 2 years
  • Bronze Cross: 2 years
  • National Lifeguard (all options): 2 years
  • Lifesaving Instructor: 2 years
  • First Aid Instructor : 2 years

An expired National Lifeguard award can be recertified at any time (3, 5 or even 10 years after it has expired) in order to be once more used as work permit.

A teaching award can be recertified only if it is expired for 2 years or less. If it is expired since more than 2 years, the holder must contact the Lifesaving Society to establish a development plan to follow before taking the recertification.

 

RECERTIFICATION FAILURE

1st failure

A candidate who fails a recertification must receive additional training from an instructor before taking another recertification.

2nd failure

If the candidate fails the recertification examination a second time, the award will be revoked, as well as all other awards which have the revoked award as a prerequisite.

For example, if a candidate fails the recertification for a Lifesaving Instructor award, he or she will need to try to pass the recertification a second time. If the candidate fails again, all his or her awards having the Lifesaving Instructor as prerequisite will also be cancelled. The candidate will have to retake the full course for each award.

For more information about recertification failure before an award expiration date, please contact the Lifesaving Society.

BRONZE MEDALLION AND BRONZE CROSS RECERTIFICATION

To recertify your Bronze Medallion or Bronze Cross award, you must take the course’s final examination, to which two physical fitness items have been added. Here's a detailed list of all items evaluated for the recertification:

 

COVID-19 RELATED DOCUMENTS

 

Updating the checklist (material adapted to COVID-19)

 

BRONZE MEDALLION

  • Swim head-up 6 x 25 m
  • Swim 500 m in 15 minutes or less without stopping
  • Management of a spinal-injured victim in deep water
  • Non-contact rescue in an aquatic environment
  • Rescue of a non-breathing victim in deep water 
  • Rescue of a distressed or drowning victim 

BRONZE CROSS

  • Swim head-up for 2 sets of 6 x 25 m
  • Swim 600 m in 18 minutes or less without stopping
  • Management of a spinal-injured victim in deep water
  • Rescue involving 2 or more victims
  • Rescue of a submerged, non-breathing victim in deep water
  • Rescue of a victim who is injured or whose condition is deteriorating

 

 

2020 – 2021 National Lifeguard recertification

The duration of recertifications for the National Lifeguard award (all options) is between 4 and 5 hours. These recertifications take place exclusively in the environment associated with the award option.

DOCUMENTATION RELATED TO COVID-19

Checklist National Lifeguard Recertification

 

POOL OPTION

INTRODUCTION & ADMINISTRATION (10 MINUTES) 

PHYSICAL FITNESS (30 MINUTES)

  • Endurance – 400 m in 10 minutes or less
  • Sprint – 50 m in 60 seconds or less
  • Object recovery in 40 seconds or less

VICTIM MANAGEMENT (100 MINUTES)

  • Distressed or drowning victim
  • Submerged, non-breathing victim
  • Spinal-injured victim

 FURTHER TRAINING (15 MINUTES)

  • Monitoring station

LIFEGUARDING SITUATIONS (90 minutes)

  • Injured swimmer in lifeguarding situations

 

WATERPARK OPTION

PHYSICAL FITNESS (15 MINUTES)

  • Spinal carry
  • Approach and carry

VICTIM MANAGEMENT (3H15)

  • Distressed or drowning victim
  • Submerged, non-breathing victim
  • Spinal-injured victim
  • Slide rescue in lifeguarding situations

FURTHER TRAINING (30 MINUTES)

 

WATERFRONT OPTION

PHYSICAL FITNESS (30 MINUTES)

  • Run-swim-tow
  • Rescue sprint
  • Victim carry

VICTIM MANAGEMENT (3 H)

  • Distressed or drowning victim
  • Submerged, non-breathing victim
  • Spinal-injured victim
  • Injured swimmer in lifeguarding situations
  • Use of rescue craft (for victim management)

 FURTHER TRAINING (30 MINUTES)

 

SURF OPTION

PHYSICAL FITNESS (45 MINUTES)

  • Run-swim-tow
  • Run-swim-run
  • Victim carry

VICTIM MANAGEMENT (3 H)

  • Distressed or drowning victim
  • Submerged, non-breathing victim
  • Spinal-injured victim
  • Injured swimmer in lifeguarding situations
  • Use of rescue craft for victim management

FURTHER TRAINING (15 minutes)