Paul R Salmon provides a range of fully Ofqual Recognised, swimming pool safety awards, depending on your risk assessment will depend on what is correct for yourselves. All our qualifications are recommended in the industry guidance document HSG179 Safety in Swimming bools, by HSE. Click here to download the link to be able to understand what qualification is correct for you at your swimming pool. Paul R Salmon are fully registered and accredited by STA (Sta Awards), a full link to their qualifications is available here.

• Created by STA’s lifesaving experts, providing you with quality training as delivered by industry leading professionals, chosen by STA.
• Training is in accordance with the National Occupational Standards and sections 140–185 of Managing Health and Safety in Swimming Pools and British Standard BS EN 15288 Part 2, Safety Requirements for Operations
• Regulated by Ofqual and Qualifications Wales
• Will give you the confidence and knowledge to deal with an emergency on the poolside.

Is the STA Level 2 Pool Emergency Responder Award (PER): Right for your swimming pool?

Paul R Salmon understand this qualification is perfect for those venues that have completed a full risk assessment on staff needs and consulted HSG179 and do not need a lifeguard on their pool.

STA Level 2 Pool Emergency Responder Award (PER): is a pool responder award and should not be used as a lifeguard qualification, lifeguard qualification should use the STA Pool Lifeguard or RLSS Pool Lifeguard.

STA Level 2 Pool Emergency Responder Award (PER): is currently as of June 2025, the only qualification we have found that is a Pool Responder course, that is Ofqual / RQF Recognised, therefore quality is assured.

Valid for 2 years Paul R Salmon has a bank of extremely qualified and experienced STA Professional Tutors that can deliver training every quarter to STA very high standards, ask us for more details of STA Pool Responder staff training, leading in quality and content, perfect to support due diligences.

Your Essential Guide to STA Level 2 Pool Emergency Responder Award (PER):

In any aquatic environment, the ability to respond swiftly and effectively to an emergency is paramount. The STA Level 2 Pool Emergency Responder Award (PER) is a nationally recognised and regulated qualification designed to equip individuals with the critical skills and confidence needed to manage poolside incidents, perform vital rescues, and administer essential first aid.

This comprehensive award is ideal for staff working in smaller, shallower swimming pools, such as those found in hotels, leisure clubs, or private facilities where constant lifeguard supervision may not be a requirement based on a thorough risk assessment. It also serves as an invaluable qualification for duty managers or other personnel who may be called upon to support a professional lifeguard team during an emergency.

Why Choose the STA Level 2 Pool Emergency Responder Award?

Taking part in this award offers a multitude of benefits, enhancing both personal capability and organisational safety:

• Meet Legal Responsibilities: For pool operators, this qualification helps ensure compliance with health and safety regulations, particularly in environments where full-time lifeguard supervision is not deemed necessary by risk assessment (e.g., in accordance with HSE’s ‘Managing Health and Safety in Swimming Pools’ guidance, HSG 179).
• Develop Life-Saving Skills: Gain practical, hands-on experience in essential life-saving techniques, including advanced pool rescue methods, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), and comprehensive first aid.
• Boost Confidence: Acquire the knowledge and practical abilities to confidently assess and manage a range of poolside emergencies, ensuring you can act decisively when it matters most.
• Enhance Employability & Career Progression: This award is a respected qualification within the leisure industry. It can open doors to roles requiring emergency response capabilities and serves as an excellent stepping stone for those aspiring to become full STA Pool Lifeguards or progress into other leisure management positions.
• Support for Aquatic Operations: For facilities with existing lifeguard teams, trained Pool Emergency Responders can provide crucial support, ensuring a robust emergency action plan is in place and effectively executed.
• Regulated and High-Quality Training: The qualification is regulated by Ofqual and Qualifications Wales, ensuring it meets rigorous national standards. Training is delivered by expert professional trainers, adhering to National Occupational Standards and relevant British Standards (e.g., BS EN 15288 Part 2).
• Comprehensive First Aid Coverage: The course includes a broad spectrum of first aid competencies, preparing you for various medical emergencies that may arise in an aquatic setting.
• Blended Learning Flexibility: Many providers offer a blended learning approach, combining convenient online theory modules with intensive practical poolside sessions, allowing for flexible study.
• Optional Additional Certifications: Depending on the training provider, you may have the option to combine this award with other valuable qualifications, such as Emergency First Aid at Work or First Aid at Work, further enhancing your skill set.

Comprehensive Syllabus: What You Will Learn

The STA Level 2 Pool Emergency Responder Award covers a wide array of theoretical knowledge and practical skills, ensuring a holistic understanding of pool emergency management. The syllabus typically includes:

1. Understanding Pool Safety Operating Procedures:

• Legislative Framework: Key health and safety legislation relevant to swimming pools.
• Roles and Responsibilities: Defining the duties of a pool responder and first aider.
• Pool Safety Operating Procedures (PSOPs): Understanding Normal Operating Plans (NOPs) and Emergency Action Plans (EAPs).
• Hazard Identification & Control: Recognising potential hazards, assessing risks, and implementing effective control measures in a swimming pool environment.

2. Assessing and Managing Incidents:

• Scene Survey: Safely assessing an emergency scene.
• Primary Survey: Rapidly evaluating a casualty’s condition.
• Calling for Help: Knowing when and how to activate emergency services.
• Recording & Reporting: Procedures for documenting incidents and first aid actions.

3. Basic Life Support and Resuscitation:

• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR): Performing effective CPR for adult, child, and infant casualties, including the use of barrier devices like pocket masks.
• Managing Unresponsive Casualties: Techniques for managing casualties who are breathing normally (recovery position, action for regurgitation) and those who are not breathing normally (drowning casualties).
• Choking: Administering first aid for conscious and unconscious choking casualties.

4. Aquatic Rescue Skills:

• Poolside Rescues: Executing reach rescues, throw rescues (using equipment like throw bags), and wade rescues.
• In-Water Rescues: Performing rescues on live simulated casualties who are non-swimmers, weak/tired, injured, or unconscious, often utilising rescue aids like torpedo buoys.
• Retrieval Techniques: Safely retrieving a submersible manikin from the deepest part of the pool and demonstrating safe casualty retrieval onto the poolside (e.g., team lift-out).

5. Spinal Cord Injury Management:

• Recognition: Identifying suspected spinal cord injuries.
• In-Water Stabilisation: Demonstrating the head splint roll, manual in-line stabilisation, and team stabilisation techniques.
• Extraction: Performing a team horizontal lift and log roll for suspected spinal cord injury casualties.

6. General First Aid Procedures:

• Wounds and Bleeding: Managing severe external bleeding and minor injuries (cuts, grazes, bruises).
• Shock: Recognising and treating a casualty suffering from shock.
• Musculoskeletal Injuries: Administering first aid for suspected fractures, dislocations, strains, sprains, and cramp.
• Head Injuries: Recognising and providing first aid for suspected compression, concussion, and skull fractures.
• Medical Conditions: Basic understanding and initial management of common medical emergencies.

Course Delivery

This award is delivered by highly experienced and professional trainers who are experts in aquatic safety and emergency response. They bring a wealth of practical knowledge and ensure that training is engaging, realistic, and tailored to develop competent and confident pool emergency responders. The practical elements are crucial, with learners actively participating in simulated rescue scenarios and first aid applications.

By undertaking the STA Level 2 Pool Emergency Responder Award, you are investing in a vital skill set that protects lives and enhances safety in aquatic environments.