Kim, N.-G. and Lee, J.-H., 2021. Improvement of the qualification system for lifeguards. In: Lee, J.L.; Suh, K.-S.; Lee, B.; Shin, S., and Lee, J. (eds.), Crisis and Integrated Management for Coastal and Marine Safety. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 114, pp. 628–632. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.

The purpose of this study is to propose improvement measures for the training and evaluation problems along with institutional problems of the lifeguard qualification system in Korea. To this end, a literature research was conducted on the qualification system along with previous domestic and overseas studies, and the Delphi method was used twice on 20 water safety experts. Consequently, first, the following priorities were proposed as an improvement plan for lifeguard training and evaluation: the reinforcement of the evaluation criteria of the equipment-based rescue to improve the rescue efficiency as the first priority, strengthening of the training and evaluation centered on the professional rescue techniques as the second priority, establishment of standardized training guidelines and evaluation indicators through exchanges among the 13 lifeguard educational institutions as the third priority, introduction of training and evaluation using specialized equipment in the field of first aid as the fourth priority, introduction of the marine practice after obtaining the qualification as the fifth priority, introduction of the evaluation method considering the environmental characteristics as the sixth priority, and introduction of the physical fitness test as the seventh priority. Second, the following priorities were proposed for improving the lifeguard system: the reorganization of the qualification system through integration with national lifeguard and establishment of a lifeguard qualification system monitoring institution as the first and second priorities, respectively, reinforcement of the pre-assessment system prior to participation in the qualification course as the third priority, the selection of the National Competency Standards (NCS) occupational group of the lifeguards as the fourth priority, annual re-evaluation of the educational institutions as the fifth priority, and confirmation of compliance with the training course by the educational institutions as the sixth priority.