Lifesaving

 

 

lifegurard runningLifesaving itself is the act involving rescue, resuscitation and first aid given to an individual in need and as such saving their life. In most cases it is used in reference to water safety such as lifeguards but it can also be applied to the rescue of individuals in situations such as ice rescue, flood and river rescue and emergency medical situations. However, it should be noted that Lifesaving is now not just about rescue. It also has a large element of prevention in its work and a lot of events are arranged in order to educate people and help prevent the need for lifesaving.

 

Lifesaving has a long history and the first international lifesaving conference was held in France in 1878. In 1910 the first official international lifesaving organisation (the FIS) was established and included countries such as Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia and Turkey. The Royal Life Saving Society was created in 1891 as a joining of the British and Irish Lifesaving clubs and soon expanded to include Canada and Australia.  In 1971 the formation of WLS (World Lifesaving Organisation) occurred and brought together countries such as New Zealand, The UK, South Africa and the United States in protecting the public on beaches worldwide. This organisation later merged with the FIS and became the International Life Saving Federation in1993.