The Wilderness StarGuard course is a lifeguard training program specifically for backcountry trip leaders who may enter the water with their participant groups while traveling in remote environments.
The Wilderness StarGuard curriculum was developed by Landmark Learning and is based on the Starfish risk management model. Wilderness StarGuard teaches participants how to evaluate site safety, screen the ability of swimmers, and improvise rescues using equipment that most backcountry travelers are likely to carry with them. Traditional lifeguarding courses fulfill rescue and safety training for pools and other controlled settings where the water is clear and the bottom is even. However, in backcountry scenarios, water can be murky, bottoms are uneven, and lifeguard skills for controlled settings may be inappropriate.
This remote application to aquatic rescue courses can be taken alone as a primary training, as an add-on module to the StarGuard course, or as a module for current lifeguards. Upon successful completion of the course, students receive a 2-year certification.
About Becoming a Wilderness StarGuard Provider
The Wilderness StarGuard program is managed by Landmark Learning LLC, and you can contact them by logging on to www.landmarklearning.org for information about becoming a provider.
View Curriculum Outline
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