Fielding recognized at world conference

December 7, 2015
Categories: General News Tags: College of Health and Human Services, Scholarship and Academic Life

Roy Fielding, a senior lecturer in the Department of Kinesiology, was recognized for an outstanding presentation at the 2015 World Conference on Drowning Prevention. Fielding’s presentation on the Lifeguard Rescue Reporting System he developed was one of four selected as outstanding by the conference committee. The conference was held in Malaysia, with more than 450 attendees representing 59 countries.

The Lifeguard Rescue Reporting System, available in the United States since 2009, has been endorsed by the U.S. Lifesaving Association, the Canadian Red Cross and the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council. The Canadian and American Red Cross encourage lifeguards to log their rescues in the system, and to date, 1,000-plus rescues have been entered.

“Roy Fielding’s pioneering work with the Lifeguard Rescue Reporting System is an excellent example of how our faculty are positively impacting the safety, health and well-being of people on the national and international stage. We are proud to call Roy one of our own,” said Scott Gordon, chair of the Department of Kinesiology.

Fielding’s Lifeguard Rescue Reporting system records the following data:

  • Time of day
  • Environmental conditions
  • Equipment used
  • Lifeguard location
  • Distance to the entry
  • Distance traveled in the water
  • Type of rescue made
  • First aid given
  • Patient injuries and outcome
  • Victim recognition
  • Depth of water
  • Attendance at the time of the rescue
  • Patient activity at the time of the rescue
  • Rescuer certification level

The goal is to help training agencies learn more about what actually is taking place when lifeguards are called upon to respond to an emergency. This reporting system is designed to collect long-term data to help aquatic professionals to understand if certain trends are taking place in the varying aquatic venues. The system divides aquatic areas into three categories: open water, water parks and swimming pools and spas. The most complete and current data regarding these rescues was reported to the conference.

Fielding also presented on the Model Aquatic Health Code that he worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as a symposium on Hypoxic Blackout and other medical emergencies.