Lifeguard Training in Chicago

Whether you're starting your career, furthering your education, or simply want to learn how to create a safer environment in your own backyard, our lifeguard training in Chicago can help. Designed to provide you with essential skills for helping to prevent and recognize emergencies in, on, and around the water – and deliver care if they do occur – our classes can help you achieve your goals.

For more than a century the Red Cross has been helping others experience the water safely. And with a wide range of classes available to people of all ages and walks of life, we're continuing that effort today. From our Chicago lifeguarding certification and swim classes for people of all ages, to safety training for swim coaches and our Aquatic Examiner Services, Red Cross Aquatic Representatives can help you gain the skills and knowledge you need experience the water your way. Find an Aquatics Representative in your area to learn how we can help.

Whether you hope to land a seasonal job at a waterpark or a pool with attractions, or you just want to expand your skills, the Red Cross can help. When you enroll in our Aquatic Attraction Lifeguarding, you'll learn the unique set of skills needed to provide lifeguarding services at a facility with a maximum water depth of 3 feet. Learn more about how our Aquatic Attraction Lifeguarding class in Chicago can help you keep everyone safe at a variety of facilities.

When you enroll in one of our Shallow Water Lifeguarding classes in Chicago, you'll gain the skills necessary for working as a lifeguard at an aquatic facility with a maximum water depth of 5 feet – and you can expand your career options. Courses are available in person or via our blended Simulation Learning experience, which combines online coursework with an in-person skills session. Find a class in your area that suits your schedule and your learning style – and earn the certification you need.

After completing your lifeguard training in Chicago, it's critical to maintain your skills so you can provide help when it's needed most. However, because it's (hopefully) unlikely that you'll be called to provide lifesaving rescue services on a daily or even weekly basis, we've created a series of free online refresher activities that allow you to test your skills and keep them ready for anything. They take just minutes to complete, but can mean all the difference to those in your care.

If you're ready to take your career to the next level, the Red Cross offers a Lifeguard Management course in Chicago that can help you expand your skills. Designed as a one-day course, our Lifeguard Management program will help you learn how to hire, train, and supervise lifeguards, foster good relationships among team members and even help you understand how to assemble an emergency response team. To help improve your facility's overall safety, your instructor will also provide you with the latest proven information on injury prevention and risk management, so you can work with your facility management team to create a safer environment for everyone.

Note: The course is compliant with the newly released Model Aquatic Health Code.

At the Red Cross, we not only make it easy to enroll in our Chicago lifeguard training program, but we also make it easy to keep track of your certification once it's complete. With Red Cross Digital Certificates, you can simply login to see all of your certificates at once, or, if you need to send them to an employer or volunteer organization, you can deliver them via a unique URL or QR code. This way, you won't have to keep a printed copy in your files at home, and they can be accessed anytime, from virtually anywhere.