Rookie Patrol
The Lifesaving Society Canadian Swim Patrol (CSP) is a three-level pre-Bronze program for 8-12 year olds who are ready to move beyond the learn-to-swim program. Candidates earn recognition for success in swimming, first aid and water rescue along with badges for overall award achievement.
Prerequisites: Ability to swim.
Evaluation: All items in Rookie Patrol are evaluated by a Lifesaving Instructor or YMCA Swim Instructor.
Test items:
H2O Proficiency
- Swim 25 m head-up front crawl or breaststroke.
- Demonstrate the ready position with a stationary scull for 30 seconds.
- Carry a 2.3 kg (5 lb.) object 15 m using swimmer’s choice of lifesaving kick.
- Demonstrate a foot-first and a head-first surface dive to a maximum depth of 2 m.
- Demonstrate 25 m legs-only using swimmer’s choice of lifesaving kick.
- Demonstrate the ability to inflate two items of clothing and use as a buoyant assist.
- Swim 25 m or using any stroke. Demonstrate the ability to swim under an obstacle located at the halfway point.
- Swim front crawl, back crawl, and breaststroke (50 m each).
- Complete a 350 m workout on three different occasions throughout the training course. Warm-up: 100 m; work set: 6 x 25 m any stroke on 60 seconds; and cool down: 100 m.
- Swim 100 m in 3 minutes or better using any stroke or combination of strokes of the swimmer’s choice.
First Aid
- Demonstrate a primary assessment of a conscious and cooperative victim who describes his or her chief complaint and how injury occurred.
- Demonstrate the ability to recognize when to call the Emergency Medical System (EMS) and how to do it.
- Demonstrate the primary assessment and appropriate care for a victim with external bleeding.
Recognition and Rescue
- Look at the aquatic facility for 10–15 seconds. Turn and describe what you saw.
- Demonstrate:
- The ability to simulate in the water the appearance of a weak swimmer and non-swimmer.
- ability to recognize the difference between a weak swimmer and non-swimmer.
- From a standing position on land, throw a buoyant aid with line to hit a target on the surface of the water as many times as possible within 30 seconds.