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Wasserwacht

The Wasserwacht (IPA: ['vasərvaxt]) is a German lifeguard service. It is one of the five voluntary societies of the German Red Cross. The Wasserwacht is a non-profit organization made up of on volunteers.

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1 Tasks
2 History
3 Schnelleinsatzgruppen
4 See also

Tasks

The main task of the Wasserwacht is the prevention of drowning. But there are also some additional tasks:

Environmental protection
Teaching of swimming, rescue swimming and first aid to the population, especially youth, in schools and federations
Training its members in life saving
Organization of competitions in life saving
Basic and advanced training in first aid
Education of young members
Cooperation with German civil protection, especially concerning floods.

In order to accomplish these tasks the Wasserwacht educates interested people with qualified technical abilities from the other departments of the German Red Cross.

The Wasserwacht's activities encompass many areas, including:

Swimming (Schwimmen)

A task of the Wasserwacht is the training of nonswimmers and the continuation of swimming education among the population. Badges are awarded based on the level of education, and begin with the "Seepferdchen" (early certificate) up to the Gold German Swimming Badge.

Rescue Swimming (Rettungsschwimmen)

This group is responsible for the education and training of lifeguards.

Boating (Motorboot)

The Wasserwacht provides live-saving services on most lakes in as well as on the coast of Germany. Therefore they require fast and powerful transportation in case of an emergency. The Wasserwacht oversees regattas and sailing meetings.

Rescue Diving (Rettungstauchen)

Rescue divers are needed for the salvaging of goods, vehicles, garbage, and corpses. The education of a rescue diver usually takes one to two years. Each active rescue diver of the Wasserwacht is required to undergo a dive-medical investigation annually.

History

The Bavarian city Regensburg is considered to be the birthplace of the lifeguard service of the German Red Cross. In 1883, during a flood, German Red Cross aids were used for the first time. In the following years, "Sanität und Wasserwehrkolonnen" (medical and water rescue stations) developed along the coast and inland waters.

After World War II, the Wasserwacht, as a government organization, was forbidden by the allied military administration. But the Bavarian Red Cross, a regional organization of the German Red Cross within the Free State of Bavaria, received permission to resume its work. Other regional organizations followed the example of Bavaria and reinstituted their lifeguard services.

Schnelleinsatzgruppen

For the execution of emergency services on water, the Wasserwacht maintains Schnelleinsatzgruppen (emergency response units). The groups are usually equipped with special lifeguard and emergency service machinery.