Job Description

Protect the water, help campers build confidence, and be the person who stays focused when everyone else is having fun. We are looking for strong swimmers with the maturity and judgment to become excellent lifeguards.

Watch the water. Know the campers. Be ready to act.

A lifeguard's job is active supervision.

Our lifeguards are part of the Summer Camp team, but when swimmers are in the water their first responsibility is clear: maintain direct visual surveillance, recognize problems early, enforce aquatic rules, and respond immediately when something is wrong.

This role combines serious safety responsibility with the energy of camp. You will work with counselors and aquatics leadership to help campers enjoy the water safely, build confidence, follow the buddy/accountability system, and understand that good rules make great adventures possible.

Already certified? Great. Not certified yet? Strong candidates can still apply. Autumn's Gate provides a paid on-site training, skills-evaluation, and certification pathway through our Aquatics Department before qualified staff are assigned lifeguard duties.

Your mission

Prevent problems, respond fast, and make the water feel safe.

Watch

See the whole aquatic area.

Scan continuously, recognize distress early, maintain your zone, and stay focused even when the water looks calm.

Act

Know what to do next.

Respond decisively to unsafe behavior, swimmer distress, injuries, changing conditions, and emergencies using your training and the camp's safety plan.

Lead

Make safety part of camp culture.

Communicate clearly with campers and counselors, enforce rules consistently, and help kids enjoy the water without treating safety as optional.

What you’ll own

Your responsibilities may include:

• Actively supervising campers and other authorized bathers during swimming activities.
• Maintaining direct visual surveillance of your assigned area and avoiding duties or conversations that distract from guarding.
• Recognizing distressed, active-drowning, passive-drowning, injured, or otherwise unsafe swimmers and responding appropriately.
• Enforcing pool, waterfront, deck, beach, deep-water, diving, and behavioral rules consistently.
• Implementing Autumn's Gate emergency action plans and communicating quickly with Aquatics Department and camp leadership.
• Using rescue tubes, reaching equipment, backboards, first-aid supplies, and other approved lifesaving equipment correctly.
• Assisting with camper buddy systems, board/accountability systems, swimmer zones, and head counts as directed by the camp safety plan.
• Coordinating with counselors so campers are properly supervised before, during, and after swim periods.
• Monitoring weather, water, facility, and environmental conditions and reporting hazards or changes immediately.
• Participating in rescue drills, in-service training, skills practice, rotations, orientation, and ongoing performance evaluation.
• Helping keep lifesaving equipment, aquatic areas, and safety stations organized and ready for use.
• Completing required incident, rescue, first-aid, or operational records accurately when needed.
• Supporting a positive camp experience while understanding that life safety always comes before entertainment, convenience, or schedule.

What success looks like

You are succeeding when campers can have fun in the water because the safety system around them is strong.

• You stay alert and engaged for the entire guarding assignment.
• Rules are enforced consistently before unsafe behavior becomes an emergency.
• You know your zone, equipment, communication system, and emergency role.
• You remain calm and decisive under pressure.
• Counselors know how to work with you instead of distracting you from surveillance.
• Your rescue, CPR, first-aid, and waterfront skills remain current through practice and training.

Waterfront certification & paid training

Certification is required. You do not have to walk in the door with it.

Autumn's Gate requires the applicable waterfront lifeguard qualification for this position. For our children's-camp pool/beach operation, that means meeting the New York State Supervision Level IIb — Pool & Beach Lifeguard standard, or the applicable accepted equivalent used by our Aquatics Department.

Selected candidates receive paid training on site.

The Autumn's Gate Aquatics Department conducts the training, skill evaluation, drills, and certification process for selected candidates. Successful candidates who complete the program receive their required certification through the Autumn's Gate Aquatics Department. Training time is paid, and all credentials used for lifeguard assignments must satisfy applicable NYS DOH requirements.

Important: You may apply before you are certified. You may not work an active lifeguard position until you have successfully completed the required qualification and certification process.

Minimum water readiness

Before certification, candidates must be able to demonstrate the baseline swimming ability required for Level IIb, including:

• Swim 300 yards continuously using appropriate strokes in good form.
• Surface dive to at least 9 feet and bring a 10‑pound object to the surface.
• Tread water for at least one minute.
• Remain comfortable and controlled in deep water while physically exerting yourself.

Certification readiness

The complete qualification process includes more than the baseline swim check.

• Waterfront rescue techniques and lifesaving‑equipment use.
• Victim recognition and preventive lifeguarding.
• Emergency action plans and spinal‑injury management.
• Required CPR/professional‑rescuer and first-aid components or accepted equivalents.
• Written/oral knowledge testing and demonstrated rescue skills.

Strong Swimmer You do not need to be a competitive swimmer, but you need a real swimming foundation and deep‑water confidence.

Calm Under Pressure We can teach rescue systems. We need someone who can listen, think, and act when the situation becomes serious.

Willing to Train Certification is the beginning. Lifeguards continue practicing, drilling, and maintaining skills throughout the season.

*For New York children's‑camp on‑site swimming, qualified lifeguards are generally at least 17. State rules allow a limited portion of the required lifeguards on duty to be 16. Final staffing assignments are made by Autumn's Gate Aquatics Department in accordance with the approved camp safety plan and applicable requirements.

Before you apply

We're hiring the person, not just the certification card.

Life is pretty awesome.

Certifications matter here because the work carries real responsibility. But the card alone does not make a great lifeguard. We are looking for people with maturity, attention, judgment, coachability, and the willingness to take safety seriously every single time.

Skills can be taught. Certification can be earned. The right person can grow with us.

• You can focus for long periods without needing constant entertainment.
• You are willing to enforce a rule even when someone does not like the answer.
• You stay calm enough to use your training when something goes wrong.
• You work well with children without losing appropriate authority or boundaries.
• You take coaching seriously and want your rescue skills evaluated honestly.
• You communicate immediately when you see a hazard, concern, or weakness.
• You understand that while actively guarding, surveillance comes before every unrelated task.
• You bring a positive attitude without becoming casual about safety.

Is this you?

The responsibility should feel right on both sides.

You may love this role if...

• You are a strong swimmer and like being around the water.
• You enjoy working with kids but can still enforce clear safety boundaries.
• You are observant and notice small changes before other people do.
• You like learning practical rescue, emergency, CPR, and first-aid skills.
• You can remain calm when everyone around you becomes excited or stressed.
• You want a summer role with real responsibility, training, and room to grow.

This may not be the role for you if...

• You are uncomfortable in deep water or cannot meet the required swim skills.
• You become easily distracted by phones, conversations, or activity around you.
• You avoid enforcing rules because you do not want campers to be upset with you.
• You are not comfortable being evaluated on physical and rescue skills.
• You treat drills, procedures, or emergency planning as unnecessary.
• You want a camp job where you can socialize while swimmers are in the water.

Where this can lead

Build real aquatic and camp leadership experience.

Strong lifeguards can grow as they demonstrate excellent surveillance, rescue readiness, leadership, camper judgment, and consistency.

Senior Lifeguard

Take greater responsibility for rotations, equipment readiness, drills, and supporting newer guards.

Aquatics Leadership

Build experience toward supervision, aquatic operations, emergency planning, and future Aquatics Department responsibilities.

Develop youth supervision, communication, risk management, and leadership skills that transfer across camp operations.

Autumn's Gate Growth

Exceptional team members may find opportunities across other Autumn's Gate programs as their skills and interests develop.

Ready to guard the water?

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