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Renting a Lifeguard for a Movie Shoot
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Renting a Lifeguard for a Movie Shoot
If you're looking to rent a lifeguard for a movie shoot, there are lots of different options and reasons you may do so. Producing a film or movie can be a very consuming task. You want complete peace of mind if you're working in or around water, especially open waters where there can be more unpredictability.
Knowing ocean conditions is a must when being a fully trained lifeguard. Tides and currents can change very quickly, and having someone with all the knowledge of what to expect is exactly what you need to keep everyone safe, including the actors and the crew members.
With the right information, hiring a lifeguard couldn't be easier. Many dedicated services bring safety to your pool parties, swim lessons, film shoots, and pretty much any event.
Below we will be going over a few areas of why you would need to hire a lifeguard and why it is important to have an American Aquatics and Safety Training lifeguarding swim instructor at your shoot.
Hiring a Lifeguard for Movie Production and When will I need to hire a Lifeguard?
Hire a lifeguard should be used in pretty much any water event you're hosting. From a pool party at your house to a birthday party at your local community pool, or even at a beach event, a lifeguard can be extremely valuable, bringing complete safety and vigilance to any watered area.
If you're hosting a party or, in the case of a film shoot, are having many actors use the water, the main rule is to have 1 lifeguard per 20 people. This is universal, no matter where you are, and is just the best practice for everyone to be safe. If there are younger children under the age of 4, it is always recommended that you have 1 lifeguard per 15. The water safety of your little ones is always a priority.
One lifeguard can be great if your party is small enough, but hiring two or more will keep your swimmers safer and can put your mind at ease when playing games in the pool. An event lifeguard will help run your party if they feel that all swimmers in the water are competent enough in their own swimming abilities.
This has been seen especially in big group events. In the case of kayaking in open water with a large group of 80, having 4 lifeguards is the perfect amount, as they can cover more than one area. 2 lifeguards would be on land checking out the currents and the nature of the pool or lake, whilst another 2 lifeguards will be right alongside everyone to guide them through the safest practice of being out on the water.
Why is hiring a Lifeguard important?
Lifeguards are important as they can help spot hazards that you may not see yourself. In a home situation, it has been reported that 46% of child drownings have happened when the child has been last seen inside the house. When parents have been in charge of supervision, 69% of fatal drowning incidents have happened. This doesn't mean you're a bad parent or you're not caring or loving enough. It is just that you don't have the required training that a lifeguard for hire has.
Lifeguards have to update and renew their certificate training every 2 years. This is so they are fully up to date with the lifeguard service updates that may have occurred year-round. This also keeps them fully up to date with any new first aid training or CPR/AED training they may need to refresh.
In a movie shoot situation, it may be that the employer needs you to have lifeguards on set to ensure everyone's complete safety. This is especially important when working with the ocean. The sea can change very quickly, and knowing what to expect will keep swimmers, actors, and crew members safe on your film shoot.
If something does happen in your situation, a lifeguard for hire will jump into action and provide the correct procedures in helping the struggling person or people. Lifeguards need to be fully first aid trained to gain their lifeguarding certificate so they will be able to help swimmers as soon as they are needed.
If you hire lifeguards and swim instructors, they will be able to work together, providing two different water services. This is the safest way to let your children learn new life skills and feel more confident in the water, knowing they have a trained instructor helping them to swim, as well as a lifeguard.
Why film water work is not the same as pool supervision
A film set changes almost everything about water safety. The person in the water is usually acting rather than swimming, often in costume, frequently repeating the same action for multiple takes, and sometimes facing away from the camera and therefore away from the crew. Fatigue accumulates across a shooting day in a way it never does during recreational swimming, and the people most likely to get into difficulty are the ones who were fine on the first four takes.
The supervision model differs too. A public pool lifeguard scans a whole body of water for unpredictable behavior. On a set, the lifeguard knows exactly what is meant to happen and is watching for the moment it stops happening, a performer who surfaces late, a costume that becomes heavy, a stunt that lands differently. That requires being briefed into the shot rather than posted at the side, and it requires the authority to stop a take.
Practical points worth settling before the day: who has authority to halt filming, where the casualty would be extracted and treated, whether night shooting or cold water is involved, and how long performers will be in the water between breaks. Productions that agree these in advance run smoothly. Productions that treat the lifeguard as a box to tick tend to discover the gaps at the worst possible moment.
Reviewed by Jackie Stern, Lifeguard Instructor, Firefighter and EMT. Jackie Stern has taught lifeguarding for more than 20 years and works as a firefighter, EMT and swim instructor. She reviews course content, prerequisites and rescue standards against current certification requirements.
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