How to Hire a Lifeguard in Los Angeles: 5 Questions to Ask and 3 Red Flags to Avoid

How to Hire a Lifeguard in Los Angeles: 5 Questions to Ask and 3 Red Flags to Avoid

There's no shortage of people offering lifeguard services in Los Angeles. You can find them on Craigslist, Thumbtack, and various gig platforms in about 10 minutes. The harder question isn't where to find someone — it's how to tell who actually has the credentials, training, and accountability to protect your guests if something goes wrong.

Here are five questions every homeowner or event host in LA should ask before booking a private lifeguard — and three red flags that should end the conversation immediately.

Question 1: Are Your Lifeguards American Red Cross Certified?

American Red Cross Lifeguarding certification is the recognized industry standard for professional lifeguards in the United States. It's not a weekend course — it covers water rescue techniques, CPR/AED for adults, children, and infants, First Aid, and emergency response protocols.

Ask for certification. Ask whether it's current. Certifications expire and must be renewed.

Some services advertise trained lifeguards or experienced swimmers without specifying any formal certification. That's not the same thing. A person who is a strong swimmer is not a certified lifeguard. Knowing how to swim is not the same as knowing how to perform a rear approach rescue, manage spinal injuries in the water, or run CPR until EMS arrives.

At Ace's Lifeguarding, every guard holds a current American Red Cross Lifeguarding certification, which includes CPR/AED and First Aid.

Question 2: Do You Carry General Liability AND Workers Compensation Insurance?

This is the question most hosts never think to ask — and it's one of the most important.

General liability insurance protects you if a guest is injured at your event and a claim is filed. Without it, you're potentially exposed even if the guard was negligent, not you.

Workers compensation insurance is a separate and often overlooked requirement. If a lifeguard is injured while working on your property, workers comp covers their medical expenses and lost wages. Without workers comp, the guard could potentially file a personal injury claim against you as the property owner.

Most gig-economy lifeguards operating as independent contractors carry neither. They'll show up, take your payment, and if something goes wrong — for them or for a guest — you have no protection.

Ace's Lifeguarding carries both general liability and workers compensation insurance. A Certificate of Insurance is available on request.

Question 3: Do You Run Background Checks on Every Guard?

You're inviting this person to your home. They'll be present at a private event with your family, your children, and your guests. A background check is not optional.

Ask directly: does your service run background checks on every guard before they work? Ask who conducts them — an internal process, a third-party screening service, or nothing at all.

Platforms that connect clients to independent guards often have no control over what background screening the individual has or hasn't done. When you book through a platform, you may have no idea who's showing up.

Ace's Lifeguarding background-checks every guard before they're assigned to any event.

Question 4: Can You Provide a Certificate of Insurance?

If your event is at an HOA community pool, a rented venue, or a commercial property, there's a good chance you'll be asked to provide proof that your lifeguard service is insured before they allow it on the premises.

A Certificate of Insurance (COI) is a standard document that shows who's insured, for what coverage amounts, and through which carrier. Any legitimate, professional service should be able to produce one within 24 to 48 hours.

If a provider hesitates, can't produce one, or doesn't know what you're talking about — that tells you everything you need to know about how they operate.

Ace's Lifeguarding provides COIs on request. This is standard procedure for venues, HOAs, and commercial properties throughout the LA area.

Question 5: What Is Your Protocol If Something Goes Wrong?

A professional lifeguard should be able to answer this without hesitation. The response should sound practiced, not improvised.

A clear, competent answer looks something like this: the guard identifies distress, enters the water with the rescue tube, secures the victim, moves them to safety, begins CPR if needed, directs someone nearby to call 911, continues care until EMS arrives, and manages the crowd to keep the area clear.

If the answer you get is vague — press harder. Ask specifically about rescue equipment, CPR protocol, and crowd management. A guard who has actually completed Red Cross Lifeguarding training will know these answers cold.

If they don't have a clear answer, they are not prepared for an emergency.

3 Red Flags to Walk Away From

Red flag 1: No insurance verification offered. If a provider can't or won't provide proof of general liability and workers compensation insurance, don't hire them. This isn't a paperwork preference — it's your financial and legal exposure.

Red flag 2: Booked through a gig platform with no direct accountability. Platforms like Thumbtack may connect you with people who call themselves lifeguards, but the platform takes no responsibility for their certifications, background history, or insurance coverage. There's no one accountable if something goes wrong.

Red flag 3: "I'll keep an eye on things." This phrase should disqualify anyone immediately. A trained lifeguard doesn't passively watch — they follow an active scanning pattern, maintain a specific zone of coverage, and are prepared to act in under 10 seconds. Keeping an eye on things is what an untrained bystander does. It is not lifeguarding.

How Ace's Lifeguarding Answers All 5 Questions

Red Cross certified? Yes. Every guard holds a current American Red Cross Lifeguarding certification, including CPR/AED and First Aid.

General liability and workers comp? Yes. Both policies are active. COI available on request.

Background checks? Yes. Every guard is background-checked before their first assignment.

Can you provide a COI? Yes. Standard procedure. Usually turned around within 24 hours.

Emergency protocol? Rescue tube deployment, victim extraction, CPR initiation, 911 direction, crowd management, continuous care until EMS takes over. Every guard drills this.

Ace's Lifeguarding serves Greater Los Angeles — Beverly Hills, Malibu, Pasadena, Encino, Calabasas, Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Torrance, Long Beach, and more.

Book online at acelifeguarding.com/activities or call (626) 628-5419.

About the author — This guide was written by Ace Keith, founder of Ace Lifeguarding and an American Red Cross–certified lifeguard (Lifeguarding, CPR/AED, and First Aid). Ace runs the service personally from Altadena and staffs certified, insured, background-checked guards for pool parties, HOA and apartment pools, and private events across Greater Los Angeles. He vets every guard himself, so your booking is never handed to an anonymous roster. Have a pool event coming up? Book a lifeguard.