The American Red Cross handbook says while on the job, you have a legal responsibility to act in an emergency. Failure to adhere to this duty could result in legal action. Courtesy of U.S. Army
By Brianna Rodriguez
Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock created a Citizen Award after 10-year-old Zitong Ding, a first-time visitor from China, was saved from drowning by a USF St. Petersburg lifeguard at Coquina Pool.
The award also mentioned the lifeguard’s other achievements, such as being a veteran and working with several on-campus organizations. If the award focused on the person’s outstanding impact in the veterans community and university, then this conversation would not occur.
However, the award solely focused on saving a boy from the pool.
A lifeguard’s duty is to keep patrons safe. What would have happened if this lifeguard didn’t do their job?
I myself have been a lifeguard for three years at two different facilities. I had two saves at the first facility along with a few occasions where I performed first aid.
We are trained to be attentive and alert at all times. If the lifeguard had not saved him and he drowned, the lifeguard would not only be fired, but the university could also face charges of negligence.
In lifeguard training, there is a whole section about how a lifeguard and facility can be sued for negligence. It is crucial for lifeguards to act immediately when they encounter a struggling patron or hazardous situation.
To give a person an award for doing their job makes the award less meaningful. As a lifeguard with similar experience, no one expects more than a pat on the back.
Every day, we encounter professions whose jobs are to protect people — firefighters, police officers and military personnel, to name a few.
If we gave a citizenship award to each person whose job it is to protect people, then the award wouldn’t have meaning.
It’s like giving a participation award to everyone on a sports team. The value of the award is less significant than if a team won.
An award should be given to a person who does something extraordinary that makes a positive impact.
I hope that the next citizen award focuses on a person’s impact on the community and not their duty to act.
