LIFEGUARD TRAINING HEADQUARTERS – Your Center for Life Guard Training
Park County, home to Cody and Powell near the eastern entrance to Yellowstone National Park, offers residents access to lifeguard and water safety certification training. The Buffalo Bill Reservoir and heavy seasonal tourism create genuine demand for trained lifeguards throughout the county.
Courses are offered in-person and through blended learning formats that combine online coursework with hands-on skills sessions, giving flexibility to seasonal workers, high schoolers, and adults. Programs serve teens seeking summer jobs, camp counselors, and aquatics staff throughout the tourist season.
Lifeguard training in Park County, Wyoming at a glance
Park County, Wyoming pricing is $195.00 for 27.5 hours of training, 7.5 of them online and 2 days in person, with a minimum age of 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 Park County, Wyoming.
CMAHC-Aligned Training
American Aquatics and Safety Training measures its curriculum against the prevailing standards of 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 Park County, the material covers two disciplines, water rescue and surveillance, and professional resuscitation.
Water Rescue & Surveillance
- Active vs. Passive Recognition: Cover your zone to a set pattern and distinguish active distress from passive drowning.
- Water Entries: Practise entries appropriate to shallow and deep water and to different deck configurations.
- In-Water Stabilization: Manage suspected spinal injuries in the water, which is where handling errors do the most harm.
CPR & AED Training
- High-Quality Compressions: Rate and depth to standard, with complete chest recoil every time.
- AED Operation: Site the pads properly and keep interruptions to compressions as short as the device allows.
- Rescue Breathing: Apply the appropriate breath ratio for each casualty age group.
Park County Lifeguard Certification Requirements
To enroll in Park 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
These are screening standards, not fitness goals: they confirm you can work in deep water before rescue training starts.
- 300 continuous yards, front crawl or breaststroke or any combination of them.
- Tread water for 2 minutes using only your legs.
- Recover a 10-pound object lying at 7 to 10 feet inside 1 minute 40 seconds, then carry it back through the water without touching 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.
- Handling shock, heat illness and the wider range of medical emergencies on a pool deck.
How It Works: The Path to Certification
Courses serving Park County run on a blended model, which keeps most of the study off the calendar and away from a classroom.
- Step 1: Complete the remote coursework spanning rescue theory, CPR and AED, and core first aid.
- Step 2: Contact us to reserve your in-person skills day and lock in the schedule.
- Step 3: Attend in person, pass the water prerequisite, then pass the rescue skills evaluation.
- Step 4: Finish by scoring a pass on the closing written evaluation.
Packing Checklist for Your Skills Session
For the skills clinic, bring:
Proper Swimwear
A functional, athletic-style swimsuit designed for rigorous physical activity.
Towels & Warm Layers
Two or more dry towels and a warm change of clothes, which matter more than people expect between water drills.
Hydration & Nutrition
A water bottle you can refill, plus high-energy snacks for the demanding practical sessions.
Documentation
Photo ID issued by a government body or school, confirming your age, required on the first day.
Certification
Upon successful completion, students in Park County earn a Certification from American Aquatics and Safety Training covering Lifeguarding, CPR/AED, and First Aid, valid for two years.
Course content is reviewed against the CMAHC-referenced criteria in force.
What an employer accepts varies by organisation and by region. Confirm with yours before assuming this certification covers their requirement.
Why Take Aquatic Safety Courses in Park County?
With Yellowstone tourism and Buffalo Bill Reservoir drawing large numbers of summer visitors, Park County has strong seasonal demand for certified lifeguards at pools and recreation areas. Training also builds essential CPR, first aid, and rescue skills valuable to the whole community.
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 Park 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
Note that ocean, beach and waterfront roles often ask for open-water or waterfront rescue training on top of a standard pool certification.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lifeguard Training in Park 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, the certification follows standards referenced by the Council for the Model Aquatic Health Code (CMAHC) and is issued by American Aquatics and Safety Training.
What should I bring to my in-person skills session?
Pack a swimsuit you can work in, a towel, a swim cap, dry clothes to change into, water, and photo identification that proves your age. Goggles are permitted for the swim but must come off for the object retrieval.
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.
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All Wyoming counties are listed on lifeguard training in Wyoming.
Enroll in a lifeguard class in Park County
$195 Total 27.5 hours, delivered as online modules and one in-person skills day. Certification is valid for two years.
Our training partner American Aquatics & Safety Training schedules and runs the classes.
Lifeguard classes in Park County: what to expect
Every Park County class uses the same structure, online study followed by one pool session for assessment. The Park County certification is awarded on passing the rescue, CPR/AED and First Aid components, which together run 27.5 hours.
The format of a lifeguard course in Park County
Self-paced online modules pair with one day in the water. The online portion is scanning, rescue theory and emergency planning. The practical portion is entries, approaches, extrications and spinal management.
Entry requirements for lifeguard courses in Park County
Lifeguard courses in Park County require candidates to be at least 15 by the last day of class and to complete the swim test. Those who become a lifeguard in Park County typically work at municipal pools, waterparks, campus aquatic centers and waterfronts across Wyoming.
Cost of lifeguard certification in Park County
The Park County course is $195, covering the online modules, the in-person skills assessment and a certification valid two years. Classes in Park County are scheduled all year round.
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Last updated September 20, 2026