Welcome to the
American Lifeguard Association
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About the American Lifeguard Association
It is the mission of the American Lifeguard Association is to improve the quality
and accessibility of Health & Safety programs to the public
ALA helps with the development of testing protocols and the administration of
health and safety programs at swimming pools, water parks, and beaches.
We are a prominent leader in the Lifeguarding profession here in the USA, and overseas.
Lifeguard Certification
We offer lifeguard classes near you
resulting in two different certifications.
We offer two different certifications:
• shallow and deep water
• shallow water only
We provide lifeguard certification classes year-round.
These courses will give you the knowledge and skills needed to prevent and respond to aquatic emergencies.
The course content and activities prepare candidates to recognize and respond quickly
and effectively to emergencies and prevent drowning and injuries.
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CPR / First Aid
We offer CPR & First aid training near you
We offer two levels of CPR training:
• community
• professional
Our comprehensive first aid course meets the training guidelines
established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
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CPR / First Aid
Already certified with ALA?
Pool Operations
We offer pool operations courses near you
Our course teaches the skills and practices necessary for proper, clean, safe maintenance and operation of aquatic facilities.
Students are introduced to topics such as filtration and circulation systems, pool water sanitizing and control agents, water testing, spa maintenance and pool operation.
Taught in accordance with state and local health department ordinances on sanitary pool operations, this course is open to all persons interested in this subject.
Upon successful completion of the course you may obtain a pool operators permit from your local health department, provided you are at least 16 years old. (Note: You can be 15 to take the course.)
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ALA for Instructors & Swim Coaches
The American Lifeguard Association has access the ULC system
to update the training records of all our students.
Professional Lifeguard Instructors have access to enhanced services, allowing them to use the ULC database to manage their classes and their training activity.
The ULC system, which is endorsed by the American Lifeguard Association, was designed with instructors in mind, to make it easy for industry professionals to use best-of-breed practices in their daily activity.
Now instructors with the American Lifeguard Association and other recognized aquatics program can easily manage on one site the credentials of all students who have completed their lifeguarding courses.
Full American Lifeguard Association® Profile
The American Lifeguard Association (ALA) has been offering training for over 25 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.
In addition, 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 our future generations. Over the years, it has promoted the Think Blue Too movement, which has had a positive impact on 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.
