It would be possible to fully professionalize lifesaving

As president of the Canary Islands Association of Rescue and Rescue Aday Amorin, also as a Researcher in Aquatic Activities and Rescue, Tenerife is an advanced community in the field of lifeguarding, an activity that in his opinion tends to professionalization. This expert admits that the cuts also affected the rescue, but that municipalities as in beaches of the Canary Islands increased the resources for this service.

Is the training of first responders adequate?

-In the Canary Islands, but in Spain if anything in the Canary Islands we are obsolete by the politicians we have Governing. We can be very proud to have been the first autonomous community that has taken a hand in the issue of the professionalization of first responders by a decree of 2012 that sets their minimum training. That same decree creates and regulates the professional registry of aquatic lifeguards of Spain, and establishes a term until 2017 so that they acquire the minimum formation.

Is there more awareness in the Canaries because of the characteristics of our sea?

"Not just for that. It is true that the conditions of the sea are much harder due to the surge and the temperature of the water, but our research group has also insisted that professionalization and the quality level in the rescue were necessary. We argue that the lifeguard is an emergency professional who needs a minimum level of training to deal with life-threatening situations. I travel constantly for Spain and I have to say that the Canaries have us as a model thanks to the work being done by Associations such as in this case the Canary Association of Rescue and Rescue and the Spanish Association of Rescue and Rescue that are referents in the Canaries.

Could it be possible to fully professionalize lifesaving?

-Of course. And I've been struggling for forty years to get it. I am convinced that the rescue is going to become a profession like any other technician, it is just a question of having patience and continue to work hard.

- What is the most difficult thing in the preparation of a rescuer, to acquire the physical form or the assistance knowledge?

- I always explain what is the pyramid of the professional of the rescue, on the basis of human values ​​and professional attitudes. Then there is the total and absolute dominance of the aquatic environment with a suitable physical condition. At the top of the pyramid are knowledge in first aid, communication with users and partners, and prevention, which is what you should do fundamentally. We tend to be suspicious of rescuers who say they make many rescues because they show us that they are not good, since the good lifeguard prevents accidents.

Are urban beaches such as those in Tenerife special to provide life-saving services?

-The urban beaches have more users and therefore more possible problems. But there are no differences with wild or rural beaches. There are users who are rude and who do not meet the rules, on all sides, also in Tenerife like the other islands of our Archipelago. I would warn users that rescuers are there to help and respect their work. And the first responders who behave with professionalism because they will respect them. In special situations, the rescuer has to call the police, because in Tenerife the police collaborate with the rescuers. It should also be noted that when a citizen bathes with a red flag it is as if he were crossing a red light.

Was he committing an infraction then?

-Exact, and there are municipalities in which the fine is a thousand euros, so it is not a nonsense.

- Are the municipalities aware of the need to have a good first aid service?

-There has also been an evolution in this because we are insisting that there are many drowned and that this has an impact on the image of a municipality. And there is also the question of the blue flag, which does not allow for no first aid.

But I guess good, not any first aid service.

"That's right, because the blue flag means quality and if there is not a minimum of two rescuers with materials there is not. All this contributes to the politicians realizing that life-saving is an investment and not an expense.

- Have you noticed the cuts in this activity?

- The crisis has done us a lot of damage and the cuts have been noticed a lot, so we have to tell politicians that saving is the best investment they can make for citizens, which is security. In some municipalities have decreased the numbers, but in others as in Tenerife since some beaches endow the service all the year as it is in this case the beaches of the Municipality of the Puerto de la Cruz that works all the year.

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