The American Lifeguard Association (ALA) has been offering training for over 30 years. It is a national educational association that has the full support of both the Swimming Pool and Spa Association and Global Lifeguards, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. These organizations are all members of the Global Lifeguard Association, which make up one of the largest worldwide aquatic consortiums and have certified over 250,000 individuals, and saved countless lives over past quarter of a century. The American Lifeguard Association helps with the development of testing protocols and the administration of health and safety programs at swimming pools, waterparks, waterfronts, and beaches.

The American Lifeguard and Safety Training is a critical service with the support of employers and government agencies. The certification program of the American Lifeguard Association meets OSHA requirements for health and safety training and regulatory, licensing, and accreditation requirements. Our program’s skills reflect ECC science and findings from the United States Lifeguard Standards Coalition Report. The American Lifeguard Association has been listed over the years with the CDC Healthy Swimming website. In addition, the U.S. Department of Labor and the General Service Administration (GSA) has determined that the American Lifeguard Association offers lifeguard certification programs similar to those provided by the American Red Cross.

The American Lifeguard Association emphasizes public awareness of governmental and personal responsibility in aquatic environmental issues to protect the world we live in. It has worked diligently on environmental issues to help keep our beaches and waterways cleaner for future generations. Over the years, it has promoted the Think Blue Too movement, which has positively impacted the appearance and well-being of our aquatic environments.

The American Lifeguard Association promotes the safe and enjoyable use of aquatic environments through public services announcements and national news media interviews. The Association’s opinion and viewpoints have been aired numerous times over the decades, on network shows such as NBC Today Show, Good Morning America, Doctors, and Weather Channel. It has also worked with all the national news networks such as ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC.

In addition, its advice and positions have been quoted in publications such as Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, and Self Magazine, along with newspapers such as the Guardian, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post on aquatic safety and environmental concerns

The American Lifeguard Association adheres to a code of ethics and makes a commitment to deliver high-quality health and safety training and testing. Our program-development process draws on the talent and experiences our leaders and educators have as recognized experts in the lifeguard profession, along with outside consultants from various national health and safety organizations, infused with diligent research, to ensure that the program content and guidelines used in our programs are safe and meet current national standards. The purpose of the ALA training program is to teach candidates the knowledge and skills needed to help prevent and respond to aquatic emergencies. As with all certifications, employer should ensure that each lifeguard candidate has all the skills necessary for the position for which he or she is being considered.

To obtain further information on the national training programs we offer and to enroll, we ask that you to select “Courses Offered,” which is an option at the top left of our home page. If you have questions, we ask that you email us through our Contact Us form.