LIFEGUARD TRAINING HEADQUARTERS – Your Center for Life Guard Training
Gregg County, home to Longview and its local YMCA, has ongoing demand for trained lifeguards to support community aquatics programs throughout East Texas. Certification courses prepare residents to fill these seasonal and year-round roles.
Training is available in in-person formats and blended learning options that combine online coursework with hands-on skills practice, offering flexibility for teens, adults, and seasonal staff. Candidates throughout Longview and Gregg County can schedule certification around work, school, and family commitments.
Lifeguard training in Gregg County, Texas at a glance
Gregg County, Texas: $195.00, 27.5 hours in total (7.5 online plus 2 days in person), minimum age 15, and a 300 yard swim.
- Cost
- $195.00 per participant, group discounts available.
- Length
- 7.5 hours online plus 2 days in person (27.5 hours total).
- Minimum age
- 15 by the last day of class.
- Swim test
- Swim 300 yards without stopping, tread 2 minutes with no arms, and bring a 10-lb brick up from 7 to 10 ft inside 1:40.
- Certifications
- Lifeguarding, CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer, First Aid.
- Valid for
- Two years. Recertification is 10 hours in person.
- Format
- Blended, online at your own pace, then an in-person skills session available on request in Gregg County, Texas.
CMAHC-Aligned Training
The curriculum is reviewed by American Aquatics and Safety Training against current standards from the Council for the Model Aquatic Health Code (CMAHC).
Standards in force across aquatic safety shape the course, and acceptance varies from one employer and facility to the next.
Core Curriculum
In Gregg County, the material covers two disciplines, water rescue and surveillance, and professional resuscitation.
Water Rescue & Surveillance
- Active vs. Passive Recognition: Scan a zone to a repeatable pattern, and tell an actively struggling swimmer from a silent, unconscious one.
- Water Entries: Practise entries appropriate to shallow and deep water and to different deck configurations.
- In-Water Stabilization: Hold and protect casualties with possible head, neck or back damage until extrication is safe.
CPR & AED Training
- High-Quality Compressions: Work to the required rate and depth, and let the chest come all the way back up.
- AED Operation: Site the pads properly and keep interruptions to compressions as short as the device allows.
- Rescue Breathing: Ventilate at the correct ratio, which differs between adults, children and infants.
Gregg County Lifeguard Certification Requirements
To enroll in Gregg County, candidates must meet the following age and physical performance requirements.
Minimum Age
- 15 years or older for pool/waterpark certification.
- 16 years or older for waterfront/beach certification.
Physical Performance Test
Each of these confirms a specific capability, stamina, comfort at depth and control without the use of arms, ahead of the practical syllabus.
- 300 continuous yards, front crawl or breaststroke or any combination of them.
- Tread water for 2 minutes using only your legs.
- Within 1 minute 40 seconds, retrieve a 10-pound object from 7 to 10 feet of water and swim it back, with no use of a ladder or the steps.
Skills You'll Master
The curriculum is organized into three core disciplines: water rescue, resuscitation, and first aid.
Water Rescue Techniques & Surveillance
- Reaching and throwing assists using rescue equipment.
- Active and passive drowning victim rescues.
- Multiple-victim response prioritization.
- Submerged victim recovery in shallow and deep water.
CPR / AED for Professional Responders
- Adult, child, and infant CPR technique.
- Two-rescuer CPR coordination.
- AED use on adult, child, and infant victims.
- Choking and airway obstruction response.
Advanced First Aid & Medical Emergencies
- Bleeding control and wound care.
- Spotting and treating shock, heat illness and the other medical emergencies that occur poolside.
How It Works: The Path to Certification
Courses serving Gregg County run on a blended model, which keeps most of the study off the calendar and away from a classroom.
- Step 1: Work through the online modules on rescue theory, CPR and AED, and first aid basics.
- Step 2: Reach out so we can schedule the hands-on session and confirm timings.
- Step 3: Complete the in-person day, clearing the physical gate and the rescue skills test.
- Step 4: Sit and pass the final written evaluation to finish.
Packing Checklist for Your Skills Session
Arrive at the in-person session equipped with:
Proper Swimwear
A functional, athletic-style swimsuit designed for rigorous physical activity.
Towels & Warm Layers
Two dry towels minimum, plus warm clothing to keep your core temperature up between drills.
Hydration & Nutrition
A water bottle you can refill, plus high-energy snacks for the demanding practical sessions.
Documentation
Valid photo identification from a government or school source, verifying age at Day 1 registration.
Certification
Upon successful completion, students in Gregg County earn a Certification from American Aquatics and Safety Training covering Lifeguarding, CPR/AED, and First Aid, valid for two years.
Curriculum review runs against current CMAHC-referenced criteria.
Since each organisation sets its own bar, confirm directly with your intended employer that this certification is one they accept.
Why Take Aquatic Safety Courses in Gregg County?
With the local YMCA and area pools needing certified staff each season, lifeguard training offers real job opportunities in Gregg County. It also builds lasting safety skills and provides a flexible, resume-ready credential for teens and adults alike.
Throughout the course, you’ll receive hands-on instruction in:
- Injury prevention and facility safety
- Patron surveillance techniques
- Water rescue skills
- Victim assessment
- First aid
- CPR/AED
Career Opportunities
A lifeguard certification can open the door to rewarding employment opportunities in Gregg County and beyond.
- Pool and waterpark lifeguard positions
- Resort and hotel aquatics staff
- Community and recreation center supervision
- Camp and school aquatics programs
- Aquatics facility management
Positions on beaches, oceans and waterfronts frequently call for open-water or waterfront rescue training that a standard pool certification does not include.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lifeguard Training in Gregg County
How long does lifeguard training take?
The full course runs about 25 to 27.5 hours. Most of that is the online classroom component, which you finish before the required in-person skills session.
Where is this certification accepted?
Yes. American Aquatics and Safety Training certifications follow the standards referenced by the Council for the Model Aquatic Health Code (CMAHC).
What should I bring to my in-person skills session?
Required: a proper swimsuit, towel, swim cap, dry change of clothing, a water bottle, and age-verifying photo identification. Goggles may be worn swimming but not during the retrieval test.
What happens if I don't pass the physical prerequisites?
The prerequisites are a safety gate and cannot be waived. Miss them on day one and instructors will tell you exactly what to practise, with a transfer into a later session once you are ready.
Find Upcoming Lifeguard Classes in Texas by County
- Lifeguard classes in Gonzales County
- Lifeguard classes in Gray County
- Lifeguard classes in Grayson County
- Lifeguard classes in Grimes County
- Lifeguard classes in Guadalupe County
- Lifeguard classes in Zapata County
- Lifeguard classes in Castro County
- Lifeguard classes in El Paso County
- Lifeguard classes in Henderson County
- Lifeguard classes in Lavaca County
- Lifeguard classes in Ochiltree County
Every county in Texas is listed on the Texas training page.
Enroll in a lifeguard class in Gregg County
$195 Expect 27.5 hours: online coursework plus one skills session in person. The resulting certification is valid for two years.
Delivery and scheduling sit with American Aquatics & Safety Training, our training partner.
Lifeguard classes in Gregg County and how they work
Booking a lifeguard class in Gregg County means completing the online portion first and then attending a scheduled skills session in person. Lifeguard certification in Gregg County bundles water rescue, CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer and First Aid into one 27.5-hour program.
What a lifeguard course in Gregg County covers
The syllabus teaches surveillance and scanning, rescue technique, emergency action planning, and the CPR/AED and First Aid skills a professional rescuer is expected to perform. The in-person session is where each skill is signed off.
Prerequisites for lifeguard courses in Gregg County
Lifeguard courses in Gregg County are open to anyone aged 15 or over who can pass the swim test. People who become a lifeguard in Gregg County find work at community pools, waterparks, schools and universities, and supervised open water across Texas.
How much lifeguard certification in Gregg County costs
Lifeguard training in Gregg County is priced at $195 and includes every part of the course, online modules, the in-person skills session and two-year certification. Lifeguard certification classes in Gregg County are available year-round.
More lifeguard training locations
- Lifeguard training in Grimes County, Texas
- Lifeguard training in Guadalupe County, Texas
- Lifeguard training in Hale County, Texas
- Lifeguard training in Hall County, Texas
- Lifeguard training in Hamilton County, Texas
- Lifeguard training in Hansford County, Texas
- Lifeguard training in Hardeman County, Texas
- Lifeguard training in Hardin County, Texas
Worth reading first
Last updated September 20, 2026