For a lifesaving program to continue, it needs to be a self-sustaining self-propagating entity. To help the situation in Peru get it’s feet under it, we decided our next intervention would be to hold a Lifeguard Instructor class. We organized a syllabus and sent it down to Sr. Hermosa ahead o time to allow for the best selection of senior guards from the Peruvian National Police of Lima, the Assocacion de Salvavidas Voluntarios de Peru, and the Peruvian National Police of Arequipa.

We modeled the course around our own recruit class here in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, with the twist that the focus would be on instruction rather than introduction to lifesaving techniques. The participants were challenged physically and mentally, but they dug deep and rose to meet whatever task we set before them.

Knowing that this was a senior crop of Lifesavers, we also used the occasion to prompt them to create emergency action plans for each beach based on the hazards and conditions found there.

Both the PNP and ASVP guards worked together and, i the end, really impressed us with their dedication to keeping their waters safe.