Lifeguards Get Social! How Social Media Is Changing The Way Lifeguards Collaborate

Since the beginning of lifesaving, lifeguards have communicated with each other as to the current trends in safety and rescue techniques and protocol. It is only natural as the various social media websites become increasingly popular, that lifeguards would take advantage of the new opportunities to collaborate that they provide.

Possibly the most popular of the social media sites that lifeguards are currently utilizing is facebook. This social media tool has seen increasing numbers of lifeguards and aquatic directors posting and sharing information. In the wake of the recent lifeguard shortage, a number of aquatic facilities have used social media as an outreach to prospective lifeguard job seekers. Lifeguards also often use facebook to share and view news posts relating to current lifeguard events and trending news articles. Lifeguard Times™™ regularly posts lifeguard news articles, videos, and lifeguard event information on the various social media websites including facebook to keep lifeguards and aquatic professionals updated. Twitter is another social media tool that has become popular as a collaboration tool among lifeguard agencies. It is also used by many agencies as a broadcast system to alert patrons as to current weather and safety conditions.

As increasing numbers of lifeguards and aquatic agency purchasing departments turn to online shopping to obtain the uniforms and equipment they need, social media outlets have become effective resources for information about new products and current sale items. In addition to facebook and Twitter, Pinterest is popular among many lifeguards who use the social media tool to view and share images of popular and interesting lifeguard products. Pinterest allows lifeguard users to save and categorize image “favorites” for later viewing and sharing.

Perhaps the most exciting social media website that is increasing in popularity with lifeguards, and the general public as a whole, is Instagram. Instagram users post, share and comment on photos and videos. When asked what he liked best about Instagram as compared with the other social media options, Alec Walsh, a lifeguard and student at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), said that he likes Instagram because, in order to submit a post to the site, it has to contain a photo or video. He believes that lifeguards like to see interesting photos and videos without a lot of words. He said that this increases the speed at which you can move through the information. Another example of lifeguards using Instagram is Harvey Cedars Beach Patrol in New Jersey which often uses Instagram to alert beach patrons as to current weather and tide conditions as well as local happenings.

Another lifeguard group, Volusia Surf Lifesaving recently posted to Instagram information about an upcoming lifeguard event, the first annual IronGuard Ocean Swim Competition which is scheduled to take place in New Smyrna Beach, Florida on Sunday, September 27. During and after lifeguard events, such as the recent USLA National Lifeguard Championship in Daytona Beach, many participants take to Instagram to share their favorite photos and videos of the event. Lifeguard Times™™ was on location for the aforementioned event and has been subsequently using Instagram to post related photos and videos.

Also relevant, the use of hashtags (i.e. #Lifeguard) is popular on sites like Instagram as a way for users to locate and interact with relevant postings. Longtime lifeguard industry supplier eLifeguard.com®, has been using hashtags on Instagram along with video clip postings of their new product, the LIFE™™ Rescue Tube, to give lifeguards an inside look at uses of this innovative new rescue device.

Whether it be weather announcements on Twitter or job postings on facebook, lifeguards have embraced social media as an invaluable tool to enhance their immensely important work in the field of lifeguarding.

To read a previous Lifeguard Times™ article about the lifeguard shortage click here!

To read a previous Lifeguard Times™ article about online shopping for lifeguards click here!

To read a previous Lifeguard Times™ article about how shipping rates could affect lifeguard online purchasing click here!

To read a previous Lifeguard Times™ article about the new LIFE™ Rescue Tube from eLifeguard.com® click here!