News — Lifeguard Whistles

Introduction

There are plenty of choices when it comes to dressing up for Halloween. However, trends have shown that there is a surge in people aspiring to dress as lifeguards for Halloween events and parties. One of the biggest advantages of lifeguard costumes for Halloween is that you can get them on short notice from the stores. There is hardly any need for taking time out and planning for your Halloween costume months before the actual event. You can also use your lifeguard Halloween costume after the event which is hardly the case with other costumes.  Some of our favorite men’s lifeguard costumes for Halloween are provided below:

Lifeguard T-Shirts

The lifeguard t-shirt is one of the simplest yet highly popular Halloween costume for the season. You can decide to get these t-shirts in either white or red colors. The t-shirts are made using high-quality fabrics which is soft and keeps you comfortable while you enjoy your Halloween party. These t-shirts sport the lifeguard logo which is printed on the front in bold letters which highlight and exaggerate your lifeguard looks. You can hardly go wrong with lifeguard t-shirts for keeping it simple yet classy as your Halloween costume.

Lifeguard Board Shorts

Lifeguard board shorts are an ideal choice for your Halloween party. These are made from 100% polyester which keeps you comfortable while you party for long hours. These lifeguard board shorts are soft and breathable which provide maximum comfort for longer duration. You also get well thoughtful side pockets on the shorts which can be used to keep your smaller lifeguard accessories. Lifeguard logo is printed boldly on the front which add credibility to your lifeguard look for the Halloween event. The lifeguard board shorts are functional and comfortable choice for Halloween which are not only comfortable but durable, and long lasting too.

Lifeguard Suites

You can try men’s lifeguard suit which will accentuate your lifeguard looks for the Halloween. The suit comes with lifeguard shorts and a full-sleeve jacket. These lifeguard suits in appealing red and blue colors come printed on the front with lifeguard logo which complements your look for the event. The suit helps you to show off your well-toned body and become an instant hit with everyone at the Halloween event. You can round off your lifeguard looks by adding accessories like sunglasses, lifeguard whistles, life preserver prop, etc. The jacket and shorts are made from polyester which allow you to show off some skin while you rock the party.

Introduction

A lifeguard whistle may seem to be a minor part of lifeguard’s equipment, but it plays an important role. It can alert the general public from danger and also help to capture the attention of a victim. The article discusses the correct usage and maintenance of lifeguard whistles.

Types of Lifeguard Whistles

The major type of lifeguard whistles are as follows:

Pea Whistles

Pea whistles contain a small ball also known as pea for making the whistling sound. As air passes through the whistle chamber, it causes the pea to vibrate and this produces a high-pitched and shrill whistling sound which can be heard over long distances. Due to more moving parts, pea whistles are likely to fail and also difficult to clean.

Pealess Whistles

Pealess whistles don’t use a pea for creating the whistle sound. They are considered to be more reliable and hygienic lifeguard whistles. They have lesser moving parts and hence, are easier to clean and less prone to failures. Water can also drain easily and better from the sound chamber. They are also costlier than pea whistles.

Blowing the Lifeguard Whistle Correctly

Blowing the lifeguard whistles correctly is important as it can help you grab the attention of the victim you are trying to rescue and alert others also. The technique for blowing the lifeguard whistle is key for you to be effective as a lifeguard. You should not blow the whistle like inflating a toy by using the air in your mouth. This will lead to a softer and muffled whistle sound which cannot be heard from a longer distance. You should bring the air from your stomach to blow into the whistle. You should inhale deeply and then blow into the whistle forcibly, by using the force of your stomach, lungs, and mouth. It will ensure a shrill whistle sound which can be easily heard and recognized by people from a distance.

Maintaining the Lifeguard Whistle

Lifeguard whistles can get dirty over time. They need to be maintained and cleaned regularly for them to function properly. If you are using a metal whistle, you should clean it by boiling it. You can put your whistle in boiling water for up to 10 minutes and then allow the water to cool on its own. The whistle can now be removed and left to air dry.

You should completely avoid cleaning plastic lifeguard whistles by boiling method as it will deform the whistle. Place the plastic whistle in a bowl of mouthwash which is also antiseptic. Allow the whistle to soak the mouthwash for nearly 30 minutes. You can now rinse the whistle and leave it to air dry.

Lifeguard whistles may appear insignificant to many but they do matter a lot in emergency situations. There are a number of instances when such an insignificant apparatus has saved lives. Lifeguard whistles are not only meant for water body rescue operations but for all the emergency situations. However, there are so many types of whistles in the market to choose from. The fact that they are many makes us shy away and recoil wondering which ones are the best. Sometimes our own prejudgments leads us to choosing the wrong types of whistles. Here are a number of things to consider when choosing the right lifeguard whistle.

It should be durable and resistant

Accidents or emergency situations are numerous and we can group them as fire accidents, marine accidents and even air accidents. In that case, your lifeguard whistles should be in a position to withstand the gravity and veracity of the situation at that time. For instance, for accidents such as fire accidents, you need a metallic lifeguard whistles which has been coated with a fire resistant material. This will make sure that even if you go through flames, your whistle will still be intact. It should also be able to withstand breakages as in the case of traumatic accidents.

Choose a lifeguard whistle that is loud enough

If you get down to research on those accidents where people have been rescued with a whistle. On that note, it is very important to choose a lifeguard whistle based on how much sound it can be able to produce when blow.

A good lifeguard whistle should be easy to locate or hold

A good whistle is that which has a narrow mouth piece and should be able to fit comfortably. They must be designed in such a way that it has holders that can be easily held by your hand and it should also have straps. Tough whistle straps are crucial as they ensure that you remain with it and can easily locate it at any given time.

Swimming gained a lot of popularity in the 19th century in the US. Resorts started popping up in places like Atlantic City and New Jersey. These resorts had huge swimming pools and other recreational activities in the water to help people escape from the heat of the summer. However, as the popularity of swimming increased so did the incidence of drowning. The American Red Cross estimated that in the early twentieth century around 9000 humans drowned each year.

In order to solve the drowning predicament, these resorts installed lifelines. But, these lifelines were of no help because swimmers were unable to get a hold of them. After lifelines, came rescue boards. Duke Kahanamoku was one of Hawaii’s first watermen. He introduced the rescue board around 1915.

Some other communities decided to assign police officers to rescue drowning people from the water. However, using police officers proved to be a problem because it used up law enforcement resources. Eventually, local governments began to hire people that were explicitly trained for water rescue. These men and women started to go by the term “lifeguards.”

In 1912, the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) developed a National Lifesaving Service. Soon after, in 1914, the American Red Cross Lifesaving was established. This service trained swimmers in lifesaving and CPR. Once these swimmers were prepared, they were sent to work as lifeguards in their local communities.

Soon enough, lifeguards became an esteemed and challenging career choice. As swimming became more and more popular, non-swimming rescue methods were introduced to aid lifeguards. This was especially true for lifeguards at public beaches where a large number of people swam great distances. The landline and dory are two examples of non-swimming rescue methods.

As the twentieth century progressed, many new organizations popped up such as the United States Lifeguard Association (USLA). In 1983 the American Red Cross expanded their training program, followed by YMCA in 1986.

Today, lifeguards rescue more than roughly 100,000 people from drowning annually. Even though swimming and recreational water activities are increasing in popularity, the incidences of drowning have decreased dramatically due to lifeguards and the work they do.