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WISHLIST
Your lifeguard shift has just started, and you see a kid limping up the beach. It looks like he’s caught his heel on something sharp near the waterline. A shell? A piece of hidden debris in the sand?
You won’t know until you can examine it.
You reach down for your first aid kit and open it. But instead of seeing a clean, organized set of bandages and gauze, you find curled-up bandages and a soggy roll of tape.
These are the moments when a lifeguard's first aid kit either helps or fails you. A waterproof first aid kit built for an aquatic environment can make all the difference in an emergency – and when sand, water, and wildlife are possible, you want the best kit you can find.
At Kemp USA, we’ve spent years building and stocking gear for lifeguards and aquatic facilities. We’ve listened to what they need – as well as what fails them all too often in the field.
And that’s helped us create first-aid kits and other products that meet any need that may arise in and around your lifeguard stand.
Before you decide what goes into a kit, you’ll want to plan for the injuries and risks that may require lifeguard emergency supplies.
Part of that comes down to the location. Are you at an aquatic center with a pool? Or on the beach, with weather conditions and potential wildlife interactions?
According to the CDC, drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4. Pool chemical injuries alone send nearly 4,500 people to the emergency room every year. This means your lifeguard medical supplies need to be ready for both routine and serious situations during the same shift.
Most of what you treat is more ordinary than a full rescue. But when you’re treating people, it’s important to handle every situation as if it’s the most important you’ll ever face. Some of the most common situations lifeguards face include:
Cuts, punctures, and scrapes: These can come from pool edges, docks, rocks, and hidden debris. They can occur on wet skin, which fights bandage adhesion.
Slips, sprains, and fractures: wet decks are among the most common sources of injury at any facility.
Bleeding: You could see anything from minor cuts to deep lacerations. Deeper trauma calls for a pressure bandage or tourniquet.
Near-drowning and cardiac events: Always have access to a CPR barrier and an AED in your lifeguard kit.
Sun and heat: Heat exhaustion and severe sunburns can become dangerous suddenly, and often catch swimmers and others near the water by surprise.
While each lifeguard may face unique circumstances – and therefore need a unique kit build – there’s also a baseline standard that can cover you in nearly any situation. Start with that baseline, then add for the water.
Well-stocked lifeguard emergency supplies should include:
A variety of adhesive bandages, sterile gauze pads, trauma pads, roller gauze, and adhesive tape
Antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment, and burn dressing or gel
Nitrile or vinyl gloves, a CPR breathing barrier, and trauma shears
Instant cold packs, an elastic wrap, a triangular bandage, and finger or roll splints
Bleeding control: a pressure bandage, hemostatic dressing, and a tourniquet for higher-risk or open-water posts
A foil emergency blanket for shock and cold-water exposure
If you need to outfit a stand or entire facility, a pre-built kit that already meets recognized standards saves the guesswork.
Kemp’s lifeguard first aid kits are designed to keep stations fully stocked, and refillable first aid supplies make it easy to maintain that stock throughout the season.
Want to keep your supplies usable for longer? When looking for kits, make sure to invest in a waterproof or water-resistant container that is designed to store and protect each item individually.
A waterproof first aid kit keeps everything safe with separate compartments. A wet kit fails quickly, and often before you notice.
Adhesive bandages and tape lose their grip, and even metal tools can rust and corrode (rendering them unsafe for treatment) between uses. In the moment is the worst possible time to learn your supplies are shot.
When it comes to kit containers, start with ANSI/ISEA Z308.1 as your baseline. It’s the standard for kit containers, and the Type IV designation is designed for portable use in all wet conditions.
Here are a few good habits to keep your kits ready at all times:
Select a sealable hard case or dry bag. Make sure it’s gasketed or has sealed-zipper closures for the outer layer.
Keep moisture-sensitive items – gauze, dressings – dry in resealable inner pouches.
Look for designs that drain or dry fast for grab-and-carry kits.
Store the kit out of direct sunlight and keep it away from standing water. Heat and UV break down adhesives and rubber over time.
Inspect everything after each shift and after any soaking.
Keep a routine to check the status of all kit items and replace anything that may become swollen or is past its expiration date.
For the supplies a guard carries on their body, a hip pack does the same job in miniature. Kemp’s lifeguard hip packs are designed with tear-resistant nylon with water-resistant zippered pockets – keeping CPR masks and gloves dry and within quick reach.
For larger station storage, fluid-resistant tarpaulin bags hold a full stock.
If you’re kitting out lifeguards for a beach or open-water site, your kit will need some things that pools never require.
At the ocean or larger waterfronts, you may encounter emergencies involving stings and marine punctures as well as the usual water dangers – so your beach first aid kit should be stocked accordingly.
When on beaches, swimmers may encounter issues such as Jellyfish stings, stingray and spiny fish punctures, and sea urchin injuries.
The right response kit will depend on the specifics of the area. Lean on your guards’ training rather than a printed shortcut. For instance, some stings can be managed with vinegar – others require hot-water immersion for pain relief.
When in doubt, follow the American Red Cross and your local EMS protocols. And in any water environment, it’s important to be aware and watch for any allergic reactions – and be ready to escalate to EMS if necessary.
In marine environments, emergencies can occur quickly and often without warning. You want to make sure all supplies are ready and available so that a guard can act without scrambling for the right equipment:
Vinegar and a squeeze bottle for irrigation
Fine tweezers or splinter forceps for removing tentacles or spine fragments
Instant hot packs and cold packs to help manage pain during treatment
Extra gloves and eye or skin irrigation to help with any chemical splash exposure
Other equipment, like vinegar, you can source locally – but make sure to stock them anyway. When a swimmer comes up stung, everything you need should be close at hand – no surprises.
As of 2026, there is no single national law that lays out what a lifeguard stand’s first aid kit must contain.
In most cases, your requirements come from three places:
State and local codes will vary widely from state to state, and this is where you’ll find the most specific regulations for your area. Your state health department or authority having jurisdiction has the binding list, so start there.
You can find more information on equipment and readiness expectations from organizations like the American Red Cross and Ellis & Associates. These are often part of certification and facility audits – and worth knowing.
OSHA requires employers to provide first aid supplies. But it doesn’t dictate the exact contents that those supplies should include. In general, OSHA recommends workplaces stick to the ANSI/ISEA Z308.1 as the recognized baseline.
The ANSI/ISEA Z308.1 standard defines a basic “Class A” fill and a higher-risk “Class B” fill that includes items such as a splint and a tourniquet.
Another source of good information is the CDC’s Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC). This is a national, science-based model that many state and local codes draw from. However, MAHC is guidance, not federal law, and it only carries legal weight where a jurisdiction chooses to adopt it.
Our guidance is to treat ANSI/ISEA Z308.1 as your floor, and then match whatever your state code and certifying agency require. With that baseline, add the aquatic-specific items covered above. A kit that clears those three is a lifeguard station medical kit you can stand behind.
No matter the situation, an injury in or near the water must be handled quickly and properly. With the right kit, that is a two-minute fix and a calm handoff instead of a dangerous scramble.
Make sure your kit is designed to be waterproof and fully stocked for the injuries you’re most likely to see – and any you may encounter.
Kemp USA builds and stocks lifeguard first aid gear made for the water, from ready-to-go kits to hip packs and refills. Shop lifeguard first aid kits at Kemp USA to learn more.
There isn’t a single law that lists the required first-aid supplies for lifeguard stands. A good way to come up with a list is to reference your state and local pool or health code. Lifeguard certification agencies, such as the American Red Cross, are another good source of information. Make sure your kits meet ANSI/ISEA Z308.1, then match your state code and certifying agency requirements. Then add aquatic-specific items as needed for the specific circumstances.
The best way to protect supplies from water damage is with a water-resistant or waterproof container with individually sealed contents. Look for kits with a hard case or dry bag with sealed or gasketed closures. A good choice is an ANSI/ISEA Z308.1 “Type IV” kit container that’s built to resist moisture and corrosion, and is impact-resistant. Keep moisture-sensitive items like gauze and tape in resealable inner pouches, and favor mesh-drain or quick-dry carriers so water cannot pool inside.
A lifeguard first aid kit is built to survive wet environments, and it is stocked for aquatic-specific emergencies. That includes water-resistant storage, a CPR breathing barrier, and bleeding-control supplies as a baseline. For beach and open-water stands, add-ons for marine stings and punctures include vinegar, forceps, and hot and cold packs.
You should inspect the contents of your first aid kit after every shift and after any exposure to soaking or heavy moisture. This keeps items dry and sterile. If any items are used or show signs of wear, replace them immediately.
You do. While both locations have the same need for baseline trauma and CPR supplies, an open-water or beach location requires additional items to treat marine-specific injuries. Always verify the specific risks of your environment and stock accordingly.
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