Lesson 1: Lowering Risk For Infection
Duration of Days: 2
Lesson Objective
Students will demonstrate the ability to perform an American Red Cross (r.24) Rapid Assessment—including a visual survey, checking responsiveness, and simultaneously checking breathing and pulse within 5–10 seconds—while correctly applying standard precautions and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to minimize disease transmission risks.
How do visual cues during an initial approach dictate rescuer safety and victim care priorities?
Why is simultaneous assessment of breathing and pulse critical in time-sensitive aquatic emergencies?
How do standard precautions protect both the rescuer and the community during an emergency response?
Rapid Assessment
Visual Survey
Standard precautions
PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)
Agonal Breaths
Bloodborne Pathogens
Standard 3: Demonstrates the knowledge and skills to achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical activity and fitness (evaluating personal and community health safety protocols).
Standard 4: Exhibits responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others (executing immediate life-saving care and biohazard risk mitigation).
Informational Text Analysis: Interpreting multi-step procedural algorithms and decision trees (e.g., Red Cross clinical assessment flowcharts).
Domain-Specific Vocabulary: Applying technical scientific terms (pathogen, carotid, transmission, exposure) within contextual scenarios.
Evidence-Based Reasoning: Evaluating dynamic physical cues to make split-second analytical decisions under simulated time limits.
Description: A core procedural unit training students to rapidly identify life-threatening emergencies while establishing biohazard barriers before making contact.
Purpose: Ensures rescuers do not become victims themselves and prevents delays in critical care (like CPR or ventilation) during cardiac or drowning events.
DOK Level: DOK 2 (Skill/Concept: executing procedural steps) moving to DOK 3 (Strategic Thinking: dynamic decision-making during simulated aquatic emergency scenarios).
Community Emergency Preparedness: Translates lifeguarding protocols into real-world first-responder readiness in homes, schools, and public spaces.
Public Health Literacy: Contextualizes disease prevention, breaking down stigmas surrounding bloodborne illness transmission through evidence-based standard precautions.
Agonal gasps indicate the victim is breathing normally and does not need CPR.
Wearing gloves eliminates the need to wash hands after providing care.
You should check breathing first, then pause to check the pulse.
Support / Intervention: Use step-by-step visual task cards on the pool deck; practice glove-removal techniques using non-toxic paint to visually mark "contaminants."
Extension / Enrichment: Introduce multi-victim scenario drills requiring students to prioritize care (triage) while managing environmental contamination risks.
Formative: Peer-observed checklist evaluating proper donning/doffing of nitrile gloves and execution of the 5–10 second simultaneous pulse and breathing check.
Summative: Practical scenario evaluation where the student conducts a complete Rapid Assessment on a training manikin within 10 seconds while maintaining proper PPE protocols.
Materials
ARC Lifeguard Instructor Manual
ARC Participant Manual
Skill Sheets
Participant Progress Log
Disposable non-latex gloves
Manikins