PHOTO GALLERY: Centennial Lifeguards Train With Orland Firefighters

For at least the last eight years, a logical pairing of caretakers meet at Centennial Park Aquatic Center to learn how to work together when swimmers are in need.

Both firefighters and lifeguards are reaching toward two main goals in these training sessions. Firefighters need to know exactly what emergency skills the lifeguards have, so they can come to a pool emergency and know is needed. Lifeguards can add on to their skill sets through input from the firefighters to learn how to cooperate and get patients treated as fast as possible, said Orland Fire Protection District Lt. Mark Duke.

“We’re working to share all our knowledge,” Duke said. “We can have each of us doing our jobs better and we both will know what the expectations are, and which roles we should take in an emergency.”

Better CPR techniques were taught by using a cardiac monitor to show the lifeguards exactly how much force was being applied by chest compressions.

“There used to be no way to gauge it,” Duke said about CPR compressions. “They would say ‘press 2 inches in’ or ‘a third of the way down’ but without a tool to measure what’s happening, it is very difficult to know if you are doing it correctly. That’s one tool we can provide and we do it with our own paramedics.

“It’s important for people to know the people responsible for the safety of their children are taking it seriously,” Duke said.