NOT RESCUE READYThis page is a collection of real, not posed, photos of lifeguards on duty who are not rescue ready, for discussion in my lifeguard training classes.
A lifeguard at a national park pool using her rescue tube as a footrest
instead of having it in her lap, ready for use,
As I watched this pool briefly I saw two other guards demonstrate that they were bored: one was twirling his whistle, and another absentmindedly tapped her rescue tube in her lap as if it were a bongo drum.
When some of these guards changed positions they did not make certain that the pool zone was being watched by at least one of them the whole time.
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Ken Mignosa took this photo Saturday, July 22, 2006 at the JSSL (Junipero Serra Swim League) Championships his son was competing in.
In American Red Cross Lifeguarding we read: "While scanning, do not be distracted by people or activities. Keep focused on the assigned area of responsibility."
and
"Distractions ... affect patron surveillance, for example, a lifeguard talking to other lifeguards or friends. A brief conversation might seem innocent, but during that time a 20 to 60 second struggle of a young child could be missed. The child could die because a lifeguard was distracted! Social conversations should not be held while on duty."
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On the left, at a California State University, a lifeguard on duty with her feet on her rescue tube. My students tell me they have seen guards at this facility with their feet on their rescue tube AND talking on a cell phone AND eating lunch, at the same time. To the right, a lifeguard at a Bay Area private university, with their feet on their rescue tube instead of having the tube ready to go in their arms.
The lifeguards are often on duty alone and responsible for an entire Olympic sized pool, about 25 yards by 50 meters. There is no position you can guard from at that size of pool that allows you to see the entire surface and bottom of the pool.
 
This lifeguard on duty at a University of California campus is sitting far up in the pool side bleachers and can't see the whole pool bottom. He would not be able to get to the water quickly to do a rescue, and would seem to have his eyes on something in his lap rather than on the water (see closeup on the right).
 
In this last photo we can see that the lifeguard is sitting on his rescue tube:
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