Provisional Lifeguard Certificate

The Provisional Certificate Lifeguard Review

Since everything shut down, questions about how to go about renewing or extending your lifeguard certification have been common. The American Red Cross came out with a few different solutions.

Recently, they released the definitive way to renew your certification even if you are past previous grace periods.

They are calling it the Provisional Certificate Lifeguard Review. I put together a quick video on how it works.

If you have expired and beyond the 30-day grace period, get in touch and we’ll set you up with the Provisional Certificate online material. Once you complete it, we’ll set you up with the in-person skills session.

Extending Your Certifications

Extending Your Lifeguard and CPRO Certification

The most popular time of the year for people to take courses is between March and June. That also means that most certifications are expiring during those months as well.

Here’s what the current guidance is from the American Red Cross.

  1. Lifeguards can extend their certifications by 120 days by completing an online module.
  2. For New York Lifeguards worried about CPR certifications – right now, there is nothing you can do besides take a CPR course. Because we have unique requirements with the annual CPR, the certification extension WILL NOT be effective once this crisis has past and you want to start working again. YOU NEED TO TAKE ANOTHER COURSE.
  3. INSTRUCTORS (WSI and LGI) – your certifications were already extended until at least September 30th of this year. You do not have to worry about your current certification at this time and there is no specific guidance beyond that.

I put together a quick video on how to extend lifeguard certifications and spell out the details above.

KEEP READING BELOW AFTER THE VIDEO

** The extension has been extended from 90 to 120 days AND you are eligible to take the online module if you expired between March 1st and June 30th.

Here’s how to sign up for the 120-day extension:

  1. Click this link
  2. Add to cart
  3. Complete checkout (if you have a Learning Center account, you likely need to sign in first)
  4. You will receive 2 emails: 1 will be a confirmation, the second will tell you how to log in
  5. Go to redcrosslearningcenter.org and click login on the top right
  6. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE AN ACCOUNT – hit forgot password
  7. IF YOU DO HAVE AN ACCOUNT – just log in
  8. In the middle of your screen, you will see the section “Classes I’m Taking”. Select 120 Day Certification Extension for Existing CPRO & Lifeguarding Enrollees
  9. After that loads, hit the red Launch button and complete the module

Once that is completed, you will receive an email verifying you completed the module and it will be added into your Learning Center account.

When you go to take a Lifeguard Review, you will need to show this AND your original certification to the Instructor to be able to take the course. If you do not do it and your certification is beyond the 30-day window, you will need to take a full course again.

Final important piece – it is 100% up to your employer to allow you to work with only the 120-day extension. It does not mean you are still able to work. All that it does is give you the ability to take a review course if your certification is past the expiration.

If you have any questions, email me at [email protected] or call 631-835-7017.

Please forward this to your fellow guards and instructors. If your workplace has brought up questions or concerns, have them give me a call and I can help them work through as well.

Maintaining Your American Red Cross Lifeguard Certification

Almost every full course I teach has at least 1 person who let it expire and unhappily is taking the full lifeguard course again.

Don’t let that happen to you. If you let your certification expire, you have to take a full lifeguard class all over again.

The Red Cross maintains an online database of certifications. That means you must keep up to date and there is no way around it.

To know what you have to do to stay up to date, first you must know what you are certified in. Upon successful completion of an American Red Cross lifeguard course, you are certified in lifeguarding, CPR, AED, and first aid.

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How To Find Your Certification

Looking for your American Red Cross certification?

No need to endlessly hunt through emails or dig through your papers. The American Red Cross has made a simple online system to find your certification. All you need is your name and the year you took your course!

Read more