Bronze Star (10 hr.): develops swimming
proficiency, lifesaving skill and personal fitness. Candidates
refine their stroke mechanics, acquire self-rescue skills, and
apply fitness principles in training workouts. Bronze Star is
excellent preparation for success in Bronze Medallion and provides
a fun introduction to lifesaving sport.
Prerequisite: None (Swim Patrol experience
recommended.)
Instruction & certification: Current
Lifesaving Instructors or YMCA Instructors teach and certify
candidates. The Lifesaving Society deems its certifications to be
"current" for 24 months from the certification date.
Candidate recognition: Bronze Star medal,
Bronze Star Award crest, certification card.
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At-a-glance
Knowledge Items
- The Lifesaving Society: Demonstrate knowledge of the Lifesaving
Society and awareness of its training program opportunities.
Skill Items
- Self-rescue:
- Simulate self-rescue techniques for the following
circumstances: ice, swamped or capsized boat.
- Wearing a shirt and lightweight pants, enter the water and don
a lifejacket or PFD. Demonstrate HELP for 1 minute; form a huddle
with two or more others for another minute.
- Entries: Demonstrate three safe entries appropriate to the
environment.
- Swimming and lifesaving strokes:
- Swim 25 m or yd. each of: front crawl, back crawl,
breaststroke.
- Swim 25 m or yd. each of: head-up front crawl, head-up
breaststroke.
- Swim 25 m or yd. each of: whip kick, eggbeater, scissor kick or
inverted scissor kick.
- Sculling: In ready position:
- Scull in place for 30 seconds.
- Scull head-first 10 m and scull
feet-first 10 m.
- Victim recognition: Demonstrate ability to recognize the
difference between a weak swimmer and a non-swimmer.
- Reaching and throwing assists:
- Demonstrate two reaching assists.
- Demonstrate accuracy in throwing assists: throw a buoyant aid a
distance of 5 m placing the aid within 1 m of the centre of a
target three out of four times.
- Throw a buoyant aid with line to a victim
5 m distant and pull the victim to safety.
- Drowning resuscitation: On a manikin, demonstrate
single-rescuer adult and child drowning resuscitation including
ability to deal with complications.
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Fitness Items
- Obstacle swim: On the instructor's signal, swim 50 m or yd.
submerging under an obstacle twice during the swim.
- Rescue drill: On the instructor's signal, don a shoulder loop
and line, enter the water and swim head-up to a partner or manikin
located at the surface 25 m or yd. away. Tow partner or manikin to
starting position.
- Fitness challenge: Complete a 400 m or yd. fitness training
workout:
- 100 m or yd. warm-up.
- 6 x 25 m or yd. one of front crawl, back crawl, breaststroke,
or lifesaving kick.
- 2 x 50 m or yd. one of head-up front crawl or head-up
breaststroke.
- 50 m or yd. cool-down.