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Wednesday August 2, 2000 akville THE OAKVILLE BEAVER B1 the real heat continues, so does our public library 120 N A V Y STREET O A K V IL L E , O N T A R IO L6J Sizzling Saturday Scratch & Save! E x p ir yb a leA u g u s t9 i n O l i M i l u i r * Rtf. I . , M I « x I « r im i (|* (9 0 5 ) 2 7 8 4 2 4 2 OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR OF THE OAKVILLE WATERFRONT FESTIVAL F o c u s BLOKHUIS s W hy pay those inflated department store prices? For real savings of 25 to 50% OFF, come and see us first! B y Consignment U pscale R esale Ladies W ear P ) 115 T r a f a l g a r R d . ijwN.ofLkestat) 3 3 8 - 3 4 7 4 r a * OPEN 7 D A Y SA W EEK H J? Oakville Beaver Focus Editor: WILMA 845-3824 Ext: 250; Fax: 337-5567; Email: blokhuis@haltonsearch.com L if e g u a r d s w e ll t r a in e d New equipment includes V-block spinal boards cant responsibility," said Bob Clark, president of the Lifesaving Society. "They work While water safety issues are hard to master the skills neces sary to prevent injuries and to often taken for granted by the general public, there is a group provide a professional lifesav of people in Oakville whose job ing response to people in dis tress." requires them to be well versed on the subject. Various activities are The town's summer life planned in celebration of the guards - there are almost 100 of dedication. them - undergo rig This Saturday Lifeguards orous training each (Aug. 5th), a family year to remain upday is planned at receive 2 2 to-date and learn Lions' Community hours o f pre new water safety Centre Pool. season training techniques. Lifeguard demon strations, public Summer aquatic and 2 0 hours staff, which monitor swim demonstra o f in-season tions featuring CPR Oakville's five out training. door and four indoor skills, and colouring contests for kids pools, receive 22 hours of pre-season training and will take place. another 20 hours of in-season "It's a fun day for parents to training spread over an eightbring their kids to the pool," week period. said Beth Tregunno, the Head "Our pre-season training Co-ordinator at Bronte Pool. "They get to see some of what pretty much covers all of our we (the lifeguards) do as well policies and procedures and we also learn customer service," as participate in some fun activ ities." said Grant Valley, the Head Co ordinator at Queen Elizabeth Lifeguards from the nine Park Pool. "In-season, we act Oakville pools will congregate out potential situations, have at Centennial Pool on Sunday, timed swims and strength tests Aug. 20th, for a competition. like one that involves retrieving Events will involve many of the a 20-pound brick from the bot activities encountered in train tom of the pool." ing and will include both indi This summer, local pools vidual and team challenges. have benefitted from improved For the lifeguards, of which equipment. The latest acquisi there are six or seven at each tion is the new V-block spinal pool, a typical day at the pool board, which serves the same consists of teaching morning purpose on water that a stretch swim courses and monitoring er does on land. The plastic public and leisure swims in the design - the previous spinal afternoon. An hour-long lunch boards were made of wood break is sandwiched in allows for greater durability and between. they contain a sandbag under Valley said that Oakville has neath for better stability. a good record of water safety, "They're sturdier and far citing that extreme incidents of easier to use," said Valley of the danger almost never occur. new boards. "While we're trained to deal In recognition of their water with any potentially bad situa safety efforts, the Lifesaving tion, our job is mainly about prevention," he said. "Water Society has named 2000 The safety problems shouldn't hap Year of the Lifeguard. pen in the first place." "Lifeguards take on signifi By Scott M acArthur SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER 0- ... Photos by Christine Smyth Lifeguard Rob Laughlin, TOP, allows his victim to clear the water out of her nose after a mock rescue. ABOVE: Stephanie Spence steadies the head of her mock victim as she prepares her for evacuation from the water. LEFT: Melissa Hogg uses Marielle Taylor as an example showing a technique to keep a vic tim's neck secure. BELOW: Mock rescuer Susan Amaral (per forming mock CPR) along with mock victim Meaghan Lukassen and mock helper Kelly Vogt are demonstrating one of the rescue procedures using the new V-block spinal boards. y j i ** f tr · · 1 1 1 1 > ' 1 e & 0 n g io u o d P ° ° 1 0 2 0 S o irih S e r v i c e RdL (E.of 8 4 4 - 7 4 9 0