Reach – The first choice for any lifeguard should be to reach the victim from a position of safety, such as the side of a pool or the beach, using an aid such as a pole or rope. This lets them stay safe throughout the rescue whilst keeping constant contact with the victim.
Rescue aids – There is a hierarchy of rescue techniques to be used by lifeguards, in order, which minimizes danger to the lifeguard and maximizes the effectiveness of a rescue, and this dictates the types of rescue aids that a lifeguard should have obtainable. Not all techniques or equipment will be obtainable to all lifeguards, but all lifeguards should have some equipment to aid rescues.
Wade – If neither of those techniques is possible, then a lifeguard should think about wading to a victim, staying standing upright in the water. This will only work in shallow water, so has limited application, but keeps the lifeguard more stable and safer.
Throw – If it is not possible to reach a victim and maintain contact, then the next best method is to throw a floatation aid to them, such as a lifebuoy (also known as a Perry buoy) and encourage them to use it to swim to safety. This is most appropriate in a swimming pool and has only limited application outside, such as throwing a ring from a pier.
Swim with an aid – Only if none of these options are obtainable should a lifeguard think about swimming to rescue a victim, as it creates additional danger for both lifeguard and victim. Aids suitable for this include the widely known torpedo tube, which is a hard plastic float towed on a rope attached to the lifeguard, or the soft equivalent, the rescue or ‘Peterson’ tube, which is flexible and is generally preferred nowadays as it can be clipped around an unconscious or uncooperative victim. Other aids can include a rescue reel, which is a rope attaching the lifeguard to a reel on the shore from where he can be pulled back by colleagues either with the victim or if the lifeguard gets in to difficulty. Swim without an aid – Only as an absolute last resort should a lifeguard attempt a rescue with no equipment.
Row – Using a personal watercraft to reach the victim, which could include paddle craft such as a surf ski, kayak or rowboat, a hand paddled craft such as a long surfboard or in modern times a Jet Ski or an inflatable boat.
Lifeboat survival kits are stowed in inflatable or rigid lifeboats or life rafts; coast guard or maritime regulations mandate the contents of these kits. These kits provide basic survival tools and supplies to enable passengers to survive until they are rescued. In addition to relying on lifeboat survival kits, many mariners will assemble a “ditch bag” or “abandon ship bag” containing additional survival supplies.
Lifeboat survival kits
Vehicle kits
Another level in some preparedness designs are Vehicle Kits. In some cases, supplies and equipment may be loaded in to vehicle such as a truck or truck with bicycle racks and an extra “reserve” gas tank. Some survivalists also over a tiny (e.g., 250 cc) off-road-capable motorbike in the truck or truck.
Food supplies in the bug-out vehicle include hundreds of pounds of wheat, rice, and beans, and honey, powdered milk, canned goods, bottled fruit, vitamins, dehydrated fruits and vegetables, salt, pepper, spices, and oil for several months. In addition, the kits often contain high-calorie energy bars, a cooking kit, utensils, liquid soap, and towels. The water supplies may include bottled water, filtering kit, bottles, collapsible water containers, and chlorine bleach for water purification. Food preparation and washing equipment may include items such as a grain grinder, a bread mixer, a strainer, a manual can opener, a steam canner with canning jars and O-rings, cutlery, knives, an electric 12-volt cooler icebox, kerosene lamps and heaters, kerosene or propane stoves, extra fuel, a clothes wringer, a foot-operated treadle sewing machine, and an electric hot plate.
The medical supplies may include a blood pressure gauge, stethoscope, scissors, tweezers, forceps, disposable scalpels, two thermometers (oral and rectal), inflatable splints, bandages, sutures, adhesive tape, gauze, burn ointment, antibiotic ointment, aspirin, rubbing alcohol, ipecac syrup, sterile water, cotton rags, soap, and cotton swabs. The transportation items may include bicycles with off-road tires, emergency tools and spare auto parts (e.g., fuses, fan belts, light bulbs, headlight, tire pump, etc.), and an inflatable raft with paddles.