Memo: American Red Cross Safety Classes

From:
Cathy Durance
Member Services Coordinator
USA Swimming

October 2, 2008

I’m getting flooded with calls from coaches who call their local ARC chapter and are told that the chapter (a) doesn’t offer STSC or (b) doesn’t have any instructors. What I have found is that the person answering the phone at that chapter may not have the correct information, but the instructors usually do know what’s going on. I tell coaches to call their local chapter and ask to speak directly with an LGI or WSI (Lifeguard Instructor or Water Safety Instructor). Every ARC chapter has LGIs and WSIs, and these are the people who can now teach Safety Training for Swim Coaches. It should be much easier to find a course now, not more difficult. If the instructor doesn’t know that s/he can teach STSC, tell her/him to go to the ARC website and visit Instructor’s Corner. All the information is right there. When coaches call you for help in finding a STSC class, please relay the above information to them.

Safety Training for Swim Coaches has two components – a four-hour classroom session and a four-hour water session. Coaches can opt out of the classroom session by going online and passing the 26-question STSC written test. Coaches who pass the online test will receive a confirmation email from USA Swimming. They print out the email and take it to their local ARC chapter, and schedule the water session. Upon successful completion of the water session, they will receive their STSC certification. It may take 3-4 weeks for their card to arrive, so they can ask the chapter to email or fax a copy of the Course Record Sheet to their LSC Membership Chair. A note written by the ARC instructor is not acceptable. The only acceptable paperwork would be the course record sheet or the STSC card itself.

Coaches who prefer to take the four-hour classroom session and the four-hour water session will receive their card several weeks after the course has been completed and can have the course record sheet sent to their LSC Membership Chair as well.

The ARC instructor is not supposed to give the four-hour water session to a coach until that coach has completed (a) the four-hour classroom session or (b) passed the online test. The ONLY time a STSC card should be issued is after BOTH components have been successfully completed.

Coaches who have a lifeguard certification are also required to take the 26-question online STSC written test when it is time to renew that certification requirement. These coaches will send their LSC Membership Chair a copy of the email confirmation that they have passed the test, along with their updated lifeguard certification. Any coach who needs to renew his/her Safety Training for Swim Coaches requirement – or any new coach joining for the first time – must present one of the following:

• STSC card issued by an ARC chapter (the course record sheet is also acceptable)
• Lifeguard card from the approved list, along with a printed copy of the email certifying that the coach has completed the online STSC written test