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{{Short description|Nonprofit professional association}}

factoids

HTTP://WWW.USLA.ORG/?PAGE=MISSIONPUBLISHER=UNITED STATES LIFESAVING ASSOCIATION, 5 May 2018, }}The United States Lifesaving Association is a nonprofit professional association of beach lifeguards and open water rescuers in the United States.BOOK, Safer Beaches: Planning, Design, and Operation, Griffiths, Tom, Brewster, B. Chris, United States Lifesaving Association and International Life Saving Federation, 121–127,weblink Human Kinetics, 2011, 978-0736086462, NEWS,weblink Still fixed on horizon after 50 years: Lifeguard group celebrates, Connelly, Laylan, Orange County Register, 2014-04-26, 2014-05-06,

History

The United States Lifesaving Association's predecessor organization was founded in 1956 by lifeguard agencies in and around Los Angeles, California as the Surf Life Saving Association of America to compete in an international lifesaving competition held concurrently with the 1956 Summer Olympics in Australia. Later, in 1964, the group renamed itself the National Surf Life Saving Association to include lifeguard agencies along the coast of California which is viewed as the official beginning of the organization.WEB,weblink United States Lifesaving Association, International Life Saving Federation, 14 August 2018, BOOK, Tipton, Mike, Adam Wooler, The Science of Beach Lifeguarding, 1, 2016, CRC Press, 978-1482245974, 31, 121, As it grew, in 1971, the United States Lifesaving Association was a founding member of World Life Saving which later merged into the International Life Saving Federation.WEB,weblink World Life Saving, International Life Saving Federation, 14 August 2018, In 1979, as part of an effort to expand its scope nationally it renamed itself to the United States Lifesaving Association and opened membership to any lifesaving or rescue service.The organization has held organized lifesaving competitions since 1965 with the first national competition organized in 1980 and continuing annually.WEB,weblink SPI lifeguards take on national event, Hernandex, Alana, August 10, 2018, Brownsville Herald, 14 August 2018, WEB,weblink LA County Reclaims National Title – 2018 USLA National Lifeguard Championships, Stewart, Mel, August 13, 2018, Swimswam, 14 August 2018,

Operation

(File:Rip current warning signs at Mission Beach.JPG|thumb|A rip current warning sign made in cooperation with the United States Lifesaving Association)The stated goal of the United States Lifesaving Association is to "Establish and maintain high standards of professional surf and open water lifesaving for the maximizing of public safety." Alongside the International Life Saving Federation, the United States Lifesaving Association created a standardized system of beach warning flags.WEB,weblink What Do Beach Warning Flags Mean?, Hamlin, Kristen, July 25, 2018, USA Today, 14 August 2018, The organization also developed and maintains a national training and qualification manual for open water lifesaving as well as an accreditation program for local training programs.BOOK, Griffiths, Tom, Safer Beaches: Planning, Design, and Operation, 2011, 978-0736086462, 31, Human Kinetics, BOOK, B. Chris Brewster, Open Water Lifesaving: The United States Lifesaving Association Manual, 2, 2003, Pearson Learning Solutions, 0536737355, BOOK, Fletemeyer, John Robert, Principles and Practices of Aquatic Law, 1, 2017, CRC Press, 978-1351657662, Additionally, the United States Lifesaving Association partnered with the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to create a national educational program concerning rip currents.The organization is made up of over 100 local chapters which host community lectures and disseminate safety information locally. It is governed by a board of directors made up of individuals determined by regional subdivision which meets biannually.WEB,weblink United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) National Structure, United States Lifesaving Association, 14 August 2018, WEB,weblink Lifeguard Services, City of San Diego, 14 August 2018, The United States Lifesaving Association annually tabulates statistics from its chapters on drownings, rescues, and other lifesaving incidents.WEB,weblink United States Lifesaving Association – Statistics, United States Lifesaving Association, 14 August 2018, In 2001, based on ten years of data, the organization calculated that the chance that an individual will drown at a beach staffed by United States Lifesaving Association affiliated lifeguards as 1 in 18 million or 0.0000056% and has remained constant in the years since.

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

• Official website

{{Sports governing bodies of the United States}}