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Lifeguards ready for pool season

  • Published
  • By Airman Nicole Sikorski
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  The Woodland Pool here kicked off the swimming season, which began Memorial Day weekend, by holding an in-service emergency lifeguard training course recently.

As the Critical Days of Summer begin, the lifeguard team stresses the importance of trust between visitors and lifeguards.

"Our goal is to make the Shaw community feel safe when they visit the pool," said Tim Godwin, director of outdoor activities at Shaw. "We are highly trained and take pride in what we do. I know after this training my guards are the best they can be."

The 20th Medical Operations Squadron and Godwin taught this emergency training course. It consisted of various exercises to train the lifeguards in what procedures to take during a medical emergency at the pool. Scenarios involved spinal injuries, both in and out of the water, and steps to take if a guest were to fall from the slide.

"The course definitely made me more confident with caring for a guest during a medical emergency," said Heath Chilcutt, a lifeguard at the Woodland Pool. "It makes me feel good to know that if one of these scenarios did occur, our lifeguards would handle it as a team."

The 2012 swimming season at the Woodland Pool lasts from May 25 until Sept. 3. The pool is open every day.

The hours of operation for Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday are 6:30 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. On Tuesdays the pool is open from 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Fridays it opens from 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. On Saturdays the pool opens from 11:00 a.m. to 9 p.m., and on Sunday it will open at noon and be open until 9:00 p.m. For questions about the pool schedule, call 803-895-0449 or 803-895-0450.

The pool is located next to the Carolina Skies club, next to the tennis courts. The pool is offering a single season pass for $60, family passes cost $150, and the daily fee is $2.50.