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WISHLIST
Get your lifeguard supplies right the first time, and you won’t be scrambling mid-season. A complete station comes down to four primary groups of gear – and having the right materials at the right time can make all the difference in a crisis.
We’ve built out a checklist that walks you through all four groups – rescue and flotation, first aid and medical, communication and surveillance, and environmental and station supplies.
While your lifeguard station may require specific equipment, this list will help you get started with a baseline that ensures you have everything you need (and stay compliant).
Here at Kemp USA, we’ve spent years manufacturing and stocking gear, and we’ve seen what a well-run station looks like. Here’s our guide to the complete lifeguard station setup.
Rescue & flotation: rescue tube, rescue can, ring buoy, throw bag, rescue board, PFDs, aquatic spineboard
First aid & medical: stocked first aid kit, AED, CPR mask and BVM, bleeding control, gloves, and PPE
Communication & surveillance: whistle and lanyard, megaphone, two-way radio, elevated stand, binoculars, warning flags
Environmental & station: umbrella or shade, sunscreen, guard apparel, hydration, storage, documentation
At the core of a lifeguard station is rescue equipment. This includes items like buoyant gear to support and pull a swimmer out of the water – and it has to be ready to grab in seconds.
Standards from groups like the United States Lifesaving Association recommend that rescue gear remain “unobstructed and deployable fast.” That means rescue equipment needs to be high-quality and ready at a moment’s notice. Fortunately, most lifeguard equipment is designed to be both.
When it comes to the basics, here’s a good baseline for primary lifeguard rescue equipment:
Rescue tube: A rescue tube is a primary aquatic rescue device. Lifeguards swim it out, wrap it around an individual, and then use its buoyancy to bring them back. A rescue tube may be one of the most-used pieces of rescue gear at most facilities.
Rescue can: This is the standard hard-shell buoy, sometimes called a torpedo buoy.
Ring buoy: Ring buoys are throwable, station-mounted devices that allow guards to reach conscious victims near a pool edge or dock without having to get in the water.
Throw bag or throw line: These are used to assist a swimmer close enough to grab a rope and allow a guard to stay on solid ground.
Rescue board or paddleboard: These are essential for beaches and large waterfronts, where a guard may need to cover larger distances quickly in deeper water.
PFDs (personal flotation devices): PFDs are great for guards working from watercraft and for supporting weaker swimmers in deep or chaotic water.
Aquatic spineboard and head immobilizer: A spineboard is a buoyant, metal-free backboard for a swimmer who may have a spinal injury.
Each of these items is key to keeping guards equipped and patrons safe. They’re not only necessary, but aquatic area owners/operators should invest in high-quality options that will last multiple seasons and won’t break down under the elements.
Where the lifeguard is located will change what they stock. While there are some supplies and equipment that are necessary for any water-related activities, beaches will often require their own set of specialized equipment.
A pool lifeguard typically needs only tools that a single guard can reach and use to rescue – the rescue tube, ring buoy, etc. These tools often have close, fixed sightlines that help speed up rescues.
Beach and open-water stations will often have the same equipment as pool lifeguards, but will add rescue cans, boards, and fins. They may require watercraft to cover wider zones against surf and rip currents.
Kemp’s water rescue lineup covers the core of the lifeguard equipment most need – rescue tubes, rescue cans, ring buoys, and throw bags – along with buoyant aquatic spineboards built for water extrication.
Rescue equipment covers swimmers who are in distress in the water. Once out, the medical supplies take over – and having the right combination of both is crucial.
Every station needs a stocked first-aid kit, plus tools for cardiac or respiratory events and spinal injuries. Keep an AED, a CPR barrier, and immobilization gear within reach of the stand.
Create a baseline, then add for specific situations a guard may encounter. At a minimum, your station’s medical supplies should include:
A stocked first aid kit: built on the ANSI/ISEA Z308.1 baseline, then expanded with bandaging, bleeding control, and wound care
An AED: charged, clearly signed, and accessible. In a drowning or cardiac emergency, the minutes before EMS arrives are critical.
A CPR pocket mask and bag-valve mask (BVM): barrier protection and a way to ventilate a non-breathing patient, on deck or in the water.
Bleeding control: a pressure bandage, hemostatic dressing, and a tourniquet for deep lacerations.
Gloves and PPE, a foil emergency blanket, and trauma shears: these are the basics that allow a guard to act as a first responder until EMS arrives.
A lifeguard’s first aid kit is deep enough to deserve its own breakdown. For a full checklist, see our guide to first aid kit essentials every lifeguard stand needs.
When in doubt, build a first aid kit on a recognized standard. Pick a kit design with materials that keep it sealed against the water, and check it before every shift – not during one.
Kemp stocks the medical side end to end, from first aid kits and refill supplies to AEDs, CPR masks and BVMs.
A guard’s most important work? It happens before the rescue. When watching the water, a guard needs two kinds of gear – tools to see, and tools to communicate.
This is also the equipment group that’s easiest to under-stock, because none of it looks urgent until it’s needed. But when a guard lacks it, they’ll quickly notice.
A lifeguard can’t prevent what they can’t see. A guard’s station should have surveillance materials and equipment such as:
An elevated lifeguard chair, tower, or stand: The right height gives a guard an unobstructed line of sight to scan crowds or longer stretches of beach.
Binoculars: A good set of quality binoculars is good for wide-area scanning at beaches and large waterfronts.
Clear sightlines and station signage: Guards need a station that’s positioned for an unobstructed view.
Surveillance equipment may not be the flashiest, but the right equipment can often help guards spot problems and communicate with one another and the authorities faster, which can help mitigate any serious issues.
Lifeguards will use surveillance equipment for spotting – and hopefully, preventing – trouble. Once an emergency is identified, it’s important to have the right equipment to act fast and call for backup if needed:
A whistle on a break-away lanyard: A whistle acts as a guard’s universal signal. Short blasts stop a behavior; longer patterns signal other guards. Make sure a whistle has a breakaway lanyard release if it gets snagged during a rescue.
A megaphone or air horn: Horns or megaphones can be used to carry instructions across crowd noise and any natural noises (surf, wind).
Two-way radios: Radios are essential to guard-to-guard and guard-to-EMS coordination.
Warning flags: A variety of color-coded flags indicate water conditions for patrons and other professionals – make sure to include signage to indicate what specific colors mean.
Not sure which is best for your specific location? When in doubt, it’s best to invest in more equipment, even if you aren’t sure if you’ll need it.
Kemp carries the communication essentials that most locations will require, including lifeguard whistles or lanyards and megaphones/air horns.
The last group is the one people forget, because it isn’t as dramatic. But it’s just as important to keep everyone safe all season long.
Environmental gear protects your guards from the elements and keeps the station running all season.
After all, a guard who’s overheated and dehydrated by noon won’t be watching the water as sharply as they should. Remember this rule of thumb: protecting the guard is protecting the swimmers.
An umbrella or shade structure: The sun and heat over a full shift can create a real safety issue. Most station inspection checklists list shade as a requirement rather than an extra.
Sunscreen: A higher SPF should be reapplied throughout the day – and you’ll need enough for a long season.
Guard apparel: Invest in high-quality hats and visors, as well as rash guards and high-visibility uniforms.
Hydration and cooling supplies: Always stock water, electrolytes, and other materials that help lifeguards cool down during rotations.
Rescue tube covers and storage: You’ll want gear to protect your gear, keeping the station organized and clean.
Foil blankets, spare batteries, and a documentation log: It’s often the small, unglamorous items that an audit-ready station needs, but forgets to stock.
None of these are all that exciting on their own, but they’re often the ones that are needed in a pinch. And a station stocked with it is one that holds up all season long.
Kemp covers this group as well, including GUARD-logo umbrellas, sunscreen, and guard apparel.
Which supplies do you need? The best way to check is to go to your stand and run through the list, section by section. Consider both the situations your guards face daily, as well as any that may occur less often – but are just as dangerous.
A lifeguard station isn’t about buying the most gear you possibly can. You want to cover all four groups, so that whatever comes up, the right tool is already available for any guard, at any shift.
Check every group, and you’ve built a station that’s ready for opening day and every day after.
Want to learn more or shop for the products you need? Kemp USA manufactures and stocks lifeguard supplies across all four groups. Outfit your station with lifeguard supplies from Kemp USA today.
Pools and beach stations will require some similar essential supplies, but beaches often need more specific ones for larger areas and deeper waters. For instance, both need rescue tubes, first aid kits, AEDs, CPR barriers, and whistles, but they may need different rescue gear. Open-water operations are riskier, with extra equipment and staffing standards from groups like the United States Lifesaving Association.
Every station is unique, and the final costs will vary. Factors can include whether a station is at a pool or beach, as well as the number of stations to equip. Items will range from inexpensive (such as whistles and sunscreen) to more expensive (spineboards, umbrellas, AEDs). Buying a full outfit from one wholesale source is often most cost-effective.
State and local health or pool codes set enforceable rules, and they’ll vary by jurisdiction. OSHA’s workplace rules apply, and often recommend ANSI/ISEA Z308.1 as the baseline. When in doubt, check your local regulations and overprepare.
Check your station gear daily before opening. Make sure all necessary rescue equipment is present and ready to be deployed as needed. Make sure the AED is charged, and all first aid kits are stocked. You should also inspect rescue tubes, lines, and similar tools routinely to look for any cracks or fraying.
You can source rescue, medical, communications, and station supplies from a single wholesaler. This is often easiest for consistency and easier reordering. Kemp USA stocks all four equipment groups, allowing you to outfit an entire station or facility without having to use multiple vendors.
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