Contact Us | Links
Training Times: Tue 1930-2200, Wed 1600-1700, Sun 1600-1900

8th NA
A TEAM B TEAM
Current 2007/2008 BULSCA League

Bronze Medallion

The first assessment you will take upon joining the club will be for the RLSS’s flagship award: the Bronze Medallion. Not only will this teach you the basic skills essential to succeeding in the other awards and the sport, it also entitles you to twelve hours exemption from the NPLQ unit one. Completed in the pool, the course covers the following areas:

  • Land-based rescues (such as a reaching or throwing rescue);
  • non-contact rescues (swimming with a rescue aid);
  • contact rescues (swimming and towing with no aids available);
  • resuscitation rescues (when the casualty has stopped breathing); and
  • initiatives.

    Award of Merit

    Upon completion of the Bronze Medallion (and the Life Support award), you will be entitled to sit your Award of Merit. This is almost identical to the Bronze Medallion, except that candidates are required to swim further, faster, and make fewer mistakes.

    Bronze Cross

    Another award you can sit having completed your Bronze Medallion is the Bronze Cross. This is an open water lifesaving award, conducted in a lake, river or in the sea. We tend to do this award on Chalkwell beach near Southend during the summer. The assessment consists of three rescues:

  • A rescue close to land;
  • a rescue of two casualties further away from land; and
  • a resuscitation rescue.

    Silver Cross

    Having completed your Bronze Cross, you are now free to attempt the second highest award in the lifesaving strand of the RLSS: the Silver Cross. This is the highest open water lifesaving award run by RLSS and tests your ability to perform the skills in the Bronze Cross perfectly, whilst increasing the distance you are expected to swim. It is hard work. You are also expected to be able to rescue casualties without aids (highly inadvisable in practice), and dealing with their struggling.

    Distinction

    Finally, with your Award of Merit and Silver Cross under your belt (along with your Life Support 3), you can go in for the big one: the Distinction award. On average, only four or five lifesavers in Essex achieve these lofty heights each year, as you are expected to demonstrate all the skills you have learnt without any mistakes. In addition, the distances and timed components of the award add more pressure on candidates. You are expected to perform and 100m swim to a casualty, and then tow them for 100m in under six minutes. This is a big ask. Once completed, however, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you are a true lifesaver, in addition to having a variety of medallions, crosses and certificates sitting in your desk.