Bronze Star

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.

Bronze Star Medal

At-a-glance

Knowledge Items

  1. The Lifesaving Society: Demonstrate knowledge of the Lifesaving Society and awareness of its training program opportunities.

Skill Items

  1. Self-rescue:
    1. Simulate self-rescue techniques for the following circumstances: ice, swamped or capsized boat.
    2. 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.
  2. Entries: Demonstrate three safe entries appropriate to the environment.
  3. Swimming and lifesaving strokes:
    1. Swim 25 m or yd. each of: front crawl, back crawl, breaststroke.
    2. Swim 25 m or yd. each of: head-up front crawl, head-up breaststroke.
    3. Swim 25 m or yd. each of: whip kick, eggbeater, scissor kick or inverted scissor kick.
  4. Sculling: In ready position:
    1. Scull in place for 30 seconds.
    2. Scull head-first 10 m and scull
      feet-first 10 m.
  5. Victim recognition: Demonstrate ability to recognize the difference between a weak swimmer and a non-swimmer.
  6. Reaching and throwing assists:
    1. Demonstrate two reaching assists.
    2. 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.
    3. Throw a buoyant aid with line to a victim
      5 m distant and pull the victim to safety.
  7. Drowning resuscitation: On a manikin, demonstrate single-rescuer adult and child drowning resuscitation including ability to deal with complications.

    Fitness Items

    1. Obstacle swim: On the instructor's signal, swim 50 m or yd. submerging under an obstacle twice during the swim.
    2. 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.
    3. 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.