EXTRACURRICULAR TRAINING

Thanks to the QUEBEC GOVERNMENT’S 15028 MEASURE, all PUBLIC Quebec secondary schools can offer the following training to all their students for FREE.

* Please note:

• The 15028 measure does not apply to private secondary schools.
• Trainings are not taught by a Lifesaving Society employee, they are taught by an instructor at the aquatic facility. However, the Lifesaving Society provides all the information, documentation and assistance necessary to promote lifesaving courses.
• A training offered in an extracurricular setting can be made available to students from several schools. Moreover, pairing secondary school students with the general public is permitted. An activity is considered extracurricular when it takes place outside of regular school hours and transportation must be provided free of charge if necessary.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?

• All secondary school students who are able to swim two laps (50 m)

BENEFITS

• Promotes a healthy lifestyle
• Access to GUARANTEED EMPLOYMENT starting at age 15 (with Medal or Bronze Cross)
• Allows secondary school students to become lifeguards and instructors for FREE
• A course can cost $250 TO $500 per student
• Training can be offered ON WEEKENDS as well as on weekday MORNINGS, LUNCHES and EVENINGS
• It is also possible to offer trainings on pedagogical days
• ALL TRANSPORTATION COSTS are also covered by the 15,028 measure

sWIM PATROL rOOKIE, RANGER & STAR — 10 HOURS (PER LEVEL)

• Open to all students aged 8 to 12
• Secondary 1 and 2 students are the target audience
• This is not a mandatory course to become a lifeguard

BRONZE STAR — 10 HOURS

• Open to all secondary school students who are age 11 and older
• Secondary 1 and 2 students are the target audience
• This is not a mandatory course to become a lifeguard

BRONZE MEDALLION — 15 HOURS (EXCLUDING FINAL EXAM)

• Open to all secondary school students who are age 13 at the time of the final exam
• Secondary 3 students are the target audience
• This is the first mandatory course to become a lifeguard
• The Bronze Medallion award allows you to work as an assistant lifeguard starting at age 15

BRONZE CROSS — 20 HOURS (EXCLUDING FINAL EXAM)

• Open to all secondary school students with a Bronze Medallion award
• Secondary 3 students are the target audience
• This is the second mandatory course to become a lifeguard
• The Bronze Cross award allows you to work as an assistant lifeguard starting at age 15

STANDARD FIRST AID — 16 HOURS

• Secondary 4 students are the target audience
• This is the third mandatory course to become a lifeguard

NATIONAL LIFEGUARD — 40 HOURS (EXCLUDING FINAL EXAM)

• Open to all secondary school students who are age 15 at the time of the final exam
• Open to all students who have a Bronze Cross and Standard First Aid award
• Secondary 4 students are the target audience
• This is the last mandatory course to become a lifeguard
• The National Lifeguard award allows you to work as a lifeguard at age 17

LIFESAVING INSTRUCTOR — 32 HOURS

• Open to all secondary school students who are age 15 and older.
• Open to all students with a Bronze Cross or National Lifeguard award.
• Secondary 5 students are the target audience

Swimming INSTRUCTOR — 32 HOURS

• Open to all secondary school students who are age 15 and older.
• Open to all students with a Bronze Cross or National Lifeguard award.
• Secondary 5 students are the target audience

EQUIPMENT

All the necessary equipment is included with the courses, i.e.:

• Whistle
• Procedural masks
• Pocket mask, viral filter and gloves
• Canadian Lifesaving Manual (Bronze Medallion and Cross)
• Canadian First Aid Manual
• Alert: Lifeguarding in Action
• Lifesaving Instructor Pack
• Swimming Instructor Pack

PLEASE NOTE

• A MINIMUM OF 4 STUDENTS is required for a training, with a maximum of 12 students.
• The Lifesaving Society recommends that a MINIMUM OF 5 HOURS be added to each lifesaving course to allow students to perfect their swimming techniques and work on the physical skills required to be a lifeguard.
• Those with a UNIVERSITY TEACHING DEGREE and a current Bronze Cross award are eligible to teach the Lifesaving Society’s Bronze courses (i.e., Star, Medallion and Cross), following credential recognition.
• All of the awards listed above are recognized as licences to work, but must be requalified every 2 YEARS. A requalification is an assessment of a lifeguard’s knowledge, skills and fitness to ensure that they are still capable of performing their duties.

If you are interested in implementing this program in your school or have any questions, please contact us at alerte@sauvetage.qc.ca.

1.   Contact the Lifesaving Society at alerte@sauvetage.qc.ca to answer any questions you may have and to provide you with all the information and documentation needed to promote the different trainings in your school and to your students.

2.   Contact nearby aquatic facilities and see if they offer training. If so, present the 15,028 measure and the various training that your school can offer free of charge to every student because of it.

3.   Survey the students in your school, while also explaining the different trainings and their benefits.

4.   If several students are interested in doing a training, determine the course schedule in collaboration with the aquatic facility and initiate registration.

5.   Contact the aquatic facility to arrange scheduling and transportation to and from the school.