United States Lifeguard Coalition: Evidence-Based Process Review David S. Markenson, M.D., FAAP, EMT-P, Gerald E. DeMers, Ph.D., & Peter G. Wernicki, M.D.

This presentation will present a description of the process for the United States Lifeguard Standard Coalition and present the draft recommendations from this process. Many Lifeguarding techniques, skills and protocols are historically based. The purpose of the United States Lifeguard Standards Coalition is to provide a scientific basis for Lifeguarding and water rescue techniques, skills and protocols. The United States Lifeguard Standards Coalition is a collaborative effort of the American Red Cross, the United States Lifesaving Association and the YMCA of the USA, America’s nonprofit leaders in lifeguard standard-setting and members of the International Lifesaving Federation. Our mission is to research, identify and promote evidence-based standards for Lifeguarding and water rescue. In doing so, we draw on the considerable strengths of our own organizations and other respected nonprofits, while soliciting the input and advice of experts worldwide.

Biographical Information:

Markenson Bio
Dr. David Markenson is the Chief of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester County Medical Center and is also a Senior Research Scientist at the National Center for Disaster Preparedness of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. He is a board certified Pediatrician with Fellowship training in both Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Pediatric Critical Care. His career has been dedicated to improving the approach to pediatric care, disaster medicine, EMS and emergency medicine. He has been the primary author or a contributor of numerous articles centered on pediatrics, emergency preparedness, and pediatric critical care. Dr. Markenson holds a number of clinical and academic appointments and serves on a number of national medical committees. He is the former Chair of the NAEMSP Pediatric Committee, has served on the Committee on Pediatric Emergency Medicine of the American Academy of Pediatrics and is a member of the Regional EMS Council of New York City (NYC) and the Regional Emergency Medical Advisory Committee of NYC. He is the Principal Investigator of multiple federal grants including an EMSC grant to create a Model Pediatric Component for State Disaster Plans, a HRSA grant to develop emergency preparedness education for health profession students and a CDC grant to improve linkages between EMS and Public Health for emergency preparedness. He served as the Conference Chair of the Pediatric Preparedness for Disasters and Terrorism which was a National Consensus conference which produced the only national emergency preparedness guidelines for children. Based on this work he has been awarded a federal grant to develop national emergency preparedness guidelines for persons with disabilities and to revise the previously created pediatric guidelines. Dr. Markenson began his career as a paramedic in college, an area of medicine he still is heavily involved with today. Dr. Markenson has worked in emergency medicine since 1985 and became involved with EMS for Children in 1986. He is the author of the text Pediatric Prehospital Care and authored the National Association of EMS Physicians Model Pediatric Protocols. His extensive involvement with EMS issues includes responding as an active EMS provider, serving as the medical director for several EMS agencies, serving as an adjunct author for the revisions of the National EMS Curricula and conducting several multi-agency research projects.

DeMers Bio
Dr. Gerald E. DeMers has been the Chair of the Kinesiology Department at California Polytechnic State University since 1989. He received his Masters Degree from Mankato State College in Minnesota and his Ph.D. in Physical Education from the University of Utah. Prior to being a Professor in California, he was a Director of the Aquatics Program and Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Arlington and Washington State University. He was a diving coach at many schools and universities throughout the 1970’s. He has conducted training for the United States Diving coaches and YMCA, and consulted for the American Red Cross.

Wernicki Bio
US Lifeguard Standards Coalition (USLSC) – Co-Chair
American Red Cross Advisory Council (ACFASP) – Aquatics Chair
United States Lifesaving Association ( USLA ) – Medical Advisor
International Lifesaving Federation ( ILS ) – Medical Committee
Dr. Wernicki is an orthopaedic surgeon who is fellowship trained and specializes in Sports Medicine. His education includes a BA from the University of Virginia and a Doctorate of Medicine from Rutgers Medical School. He completed his Orthopaedic residency at Union Memorial and Johns Hopkins Hospitals. He then went on to complete two fellowships in sports medicine and arthroscopy. His practice includes being a team physician for the LA Dodgers and Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He is a certified medical race director and has been a physician at the Hawaii Ironman, marathons, and numerous other international events.
Dr. Wernicki was a lifeguard and water safety instructor for many years. He has been on the executive board of the USLA and their medical advisor since 1987. He also serves on many of their committees, helped author the Manual of Open Water Lifesaving and is a contributor to the American Lifeguard magazine. He has been the US team physician at the Goodwill Games and other international competitions. Dr. Wernicki is the past chair and a current member of the ILS Medical Committee. In this role he has been the chair of international conferences and authored important position statements on aquatics. He is the medical representative to the ILS / IOC / WADA anti-doping committee. Dr. Wernicki was a lecturer and moderator at the World Congress on Drowning and authored several chapters in the Handbook on Drowning.
Dr. Wernicki is the Aquatics sub-council chair of the influential American Red Cross Advisory Council on First Aid, Aquatics, Safety, and Preparedness where he helps direct their national programs and policies.
Dr. Wernicki is a co-chair of the US Lifeguard Standards Coalition. This is an ongoing project involving a partnership between the USLA, ARC, and YMCA to establish evidenced based standards in lifeguarding. Dr. Wernicki coauthored Sports Medicine for Coaches and Athletes: Older Individuals… and contributed chapters to several other publications and journals. He has presented and lectured at numerous medical and lifesaving meetings. He is also an orthopaedic TV commentator and frequent print and media consultant on sports medicine and lifesaving.