When you think about the number of pools in the Bangor are one of the first places you think about is the Bangor Y. With its family friendly facility and lifeguards that are highly trained and ready assist you, it is easy to understand why so many people choose to spend their time there. But what makes the Y so special? What separates them from other lifeguards? Well, simply put, it’s the environment in which they work. A lot of myths and misconceptions are spread about lifeguards, and some of them turn out to be true but many turn out to be nothing but rumors. How many times have you heard stories about lifeguards who care about nothing but tanning and hitting on bikini babes? Hopefully after closer inspection you will realize that these are people who care about your well-being and are trusted with protecting your lives in the pool. When asked about what they thought about these conjectures most of the guards I spoke to laughed and said they wished it was all about looking good, but one guard put it best. “We simply don’t have time for that kind of behavior. At any moment something could go wrong, a patron could have a severe cramp and not make it to the wall or a child could get away from their mother and jump in over their head, and we need to be ready for that.” That’s when it hit me, these guards believe in what they do. They know it is their responsibility to make sure everyone is safe, and they wouldn’t be here if they didn’t value that sort of responsibility. When asked about what is most important to them I got the same answer across the board, communication. “If I can’t clearly explain what the situation is to the other guards on duty, then it is possible that the wrong treatment could be done and further harm can be done. If someone gets hurt and isn’t taken care of then I am at fault.” said one guard. Another explained it as “We need to be able to trust each other. If I can’t trust the other guards like they’re family then how can the swimmers expect us to help them when we are needed?” These guards describe themselves as an elite team while working and a family while not at work. These guards know that they can depend on one another no matter what the situation and this is vital to their day-to-day life. On a daily basis the guards at the Y do a number of things to get ready for their shift: they clean the pool deck, they do skills in-services, and they get in and swim to keep themselves physically fit. Once monthly they gather for a mandatory all guard staff meeting and practice their saves and escapes to make sure their skill are fresh in their minds. Many people think that lifeguards are lazy and that all they do is sit around but that is not what can be observed. These guards pride themselves on how active they are and have shown to be ready for anything. At the Y there are two levels of guards, there are lifeguards and there are supervisors. All guards get along, but just like any other work place things need to get done. The supervisors are the superiors on deck that assign the “off-duty” guards jobs that will keep them busy and available to help if needed. The lifeguards are just as important, they are the ones that keep the facility running. They guard, they clean, and a large portion of them assist with teaching swim lessons. One guard helped explain the structure at the Y by saying “As a guard it is important to know who to listen to. First I
