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Lifeguarding at BPRD

Lifeguarding at BPRD

Make a difference in your community!

BPRD lifeguards play an important role in recreation centers.

Calling all aquatic lovers and swimming fanatics! Join BPRD as a lifeguard to gain valuable risk management skills, help provide a safe facility for water patrons, and give back to the community! No experience is needed – just basic water swimming skills and a passion to learn. And, you’ll be paid to attend free training and certification.

Why lifeguarding? Lifeguards have relevant, real-world experience to use towards professional pathways:

Most of our Rec Facility Shift Leads start as lifeguards
Emergency medical technicians (EMT), paramedics and emergency medicine
Law enforcement, firefighters and other first responder roles
Childcare, college and professional lifeguarding

FAQs

What does it take to become a lifeguard?

To be a lifeguard, you:

Must be 16 years or older.
Must currently be attending high school or have a high school diploma or equivalent.
Must be able to pass a swim test in a 12′-6″ pool.
Must be able to obtain certification in basic life support and first aid through BPRD. – Free Paid Training
Must attend and pass lifeguarding “StarGuard” training. – Free Paid Training

Not exactly sure what this takes? Talk to a lifeguard or read the drop-down information below.

What does a lifeguard do?

Our lifeguards have a lot of fun, but when they’re on the pool deck – it’s serious business. You’ll learn aquatic safety, first aid and basic life support, and we’ll train you to feel confident in your role. You’ll leave work knowing that what you do matters and makes the community more safe.

You’ll learn to:

Effectively communicate with patrons, staff and volunteers
Establish and maintain positive, respectful and cooperative relationships with all contacts
Feel confident handling stressful working conditions and emergencies

See the full job description for more information.

What's the swim test like?

The swim test is 100-meters total. It consists of:

Swim 50 meters with a tube dragging behind you – head up (freestyle or breaststroke)
Swim 50 meters with a tube under your armpits – head up (freestyle or breaststroke)
Retrieve a 10 pound brick from a 12′-6″ depth
Tread water for 1 minute while keeping your hands and ears dry and above water

What's the hiring process like?

Great question!

Submit an application.
Complete an application from the link on our Current Job Opportunities webpage. Applicants are asked to provide certification that they are a veteran or disabled veteran to receive veteran’s preference. Your application and submitted responses to the supplemental questions will be the information we use for our evaluation.

Swim Test and Interview.
Next, we’ll chat about the role and schedule a swim test. Immediately after you pass the swim test, we will interview at the pool. The interview is a quick “get to know you” session with the hiring manager.

Afterwards, the hiring manager will email applicants that are selected to attend the StarGuard Lifeguard course. You’ll also receive instructions to complete preliminary hiring paperwork (so you can get paid while you train).

Training.
Next, you’ll begin your training as a paid employee. We will schedule your training and usually within about a week of being hired, you’ll attend a New Employee Orientation (NEO), which will unlock your facility pass for free skating, fitness and swim facility access. Hurray!

What's the training like?

Before you get on the pool deck or in the chair, we’re going to make sure you feel confident as a lifeguard. You’re going to get paid to train and get certified (which you get to keep) and shadow experienced lifeguards. It’s an exciting process and gives you skills and experience you can use for the rest of your career. What can you expect?

StarGuard Lifeguard Course (paid time):
This is important training, so all classes are required.

6 – 8 hours Online Class
18 – 22 hours classroom and water-based training

This is serious, but we want you to succeed. All your trainers and managers have done this training and will guide you through it – don’t be intimidated.

Questions? Contact our lifeguard manager Heather Brenda:

Heather James

Lifeguard Program Supervisor

(541) 706-6181

Email Heather Brenda

Interested? Let's talk about the opportunities.

Take the next step!

Current Openings

Apply on Indeed

Email Your Resume

Questions? We’re here to help!

For Recruitment and Application Questions:

Our District Office hours are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday, closed on holidays.

BPRD Recruiting
Anahi Juarez: (541) 706-6157
Sabrina Pinkerton: (541) 706-6139

Email BPRD Recruiting

a male lifeguard patrols the pool deck at juniper swim and fitness center

Bend Park and Recreation District is an Equal Opportunity Employer

The District is committed to equal opportunity for all persons. It is the District’s policy to employ, retain, promote, terminate and otherwise treat all employees and job applicants on the basis of merit, qualifications, and competence. This policy shall be applied without regard to any individual’s gender, gender identity (individual’s actual gender identity, appearance, expression or behavior differs from that traditionally associated with the individual’s sex at birth, or is transitioning gender), sexual orientation, race, color, religion, veteran status, national origin, age, marital status, political affiliation, or physical or mental disability or which, with reasonable accommodation, does not prevent the employee from adequately performing the essential functions of the position, or any other status protected by the law unless based on a bona fide occupational qualification.