A lifeguard watches out for swimmers enjoying a day at Goss Road pool.

The Aquatics Center is offering American Red Cross Lifeguard Certification Class next month.

“It is beneficial to teens because it gives them a lot of life skills, with responsibility and accountability being at the top of the list,” MWR Aquatics Manager Masika-Joy Peifer said.

“It also allows them to interact with people of all ages, beyond paying them slightly more than baseline because the job requires a certification.”

Registration for the course is open through March 3 and must be made in-person only at the Aquatics Center at 3705 Aerobee Road from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. The class runs March 17-21, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. It is open to the public for ages 15 and up.

The fee is $250 per student and must be paid on the first day of the class after the initial skill test has been completed.

“The limit (on class size) is on a 10:1 ratio with the instructors,” Peifer said. “We have two instructors working our next class, so our max is 20.”

The online portion of the course will be emailed to participants on March 6. It must be completed by the first day of class.

The first day of class will have a mandatory skills portion which includes a 300-yard nonstop swim, either front crawl or breaststroke; a timed drill in which the participant must rescue and swim with a 10-pound brick out of the water across the pool; and a two-minute tread without using their hands.

Students must attend all in-person class times. Failure to complete the in-person skills or the online portion will result in withdrawal from the class.

Certification does not guarantee a position. Once participants have their certifications, they must apply through usajobs.gov.

“It is not a swimming class,” Peifer said. “The skills required aren’t taught in this course, they are tested on the first day of in-person instruction. It is why we don’t require payment until the water test is passed.”

For more information, call 256-313-1200.