The Aquatic Professional » the aquatic professional http://theaquaticprofessional.com/blog Resources for the Aquatic Professional Mon, 05 Jul 2010 08:58:14 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Lifeguard Radio’s on a Tight Budget http://theaquaticprofessional.com/blog/lifeguard-radios-on-a-tight-budget/ http://theaquaticprofessional.com/blog/lifeguard-radios-on-a-tight-budget/#comments Mon, 05 Jul 2010 02:45:17 +0000 admin http://theaquaticprofessional.com/blog/?p=67 I have been an Amateur Radio Operator for 13yrs and have constantly been amazed at how many thousands of dollars agencies and facilities spend on their two way radio’s that are used for just the basic tower to headquarters communication. Below we will explore a low budget option for basic radio communication.

I understand that there are times when closed private communication is a must, but for everyday use and abuse by staff the option below is awesome!

Marine Band Radio’s

We have recently moved our facility to using waterproof marine radio’s. They are inexpensive (under $200) and very durable. They also are completely waterproof. The brand we have been using is Standard Horizon and they have been great at fixing any issues even when dropped from an 8 foot tower onto concrete.

8 top things to think about when creating your radio plan:

  1. These are made for marine communication so don’t expect long range on land.
  2. Also use them on low power an you should get about 1/2 mile with no problem.
  3. Make sure the channel you use is not assigned to emergencies, channel guide included with radio.
  4. Keep communications professional since these are public frequencies just like family radios.
  5. Get a base station installed so that headquarters is never short a radio.
  6. Plan to replace radios once every two years.
  7. Buy an extra battery pack that uses over the shelf batteries so you can power after a super long day or extensive field work without charging.
  8. Buy the accidental protection plan, usually 10% of the product but worth it’s weight in gold.

Example of Radio:

So let’s get down to the bottom line, how much do these radio’s cost:  Around $100-$300 depending on brand, and whether it is a hand held or a base station.

Click Here to support the Aquatic Professional by buying from Amazon.com Standard Horizon STD-HX370S Handheld Marine VHF Radio

There are literally tons of other radio options and inventions, take a look at this video. Please leave a comment below with a link to a picture or video of what you use and how you use it get your lifeguard communication done right!

If you have a topic you would like an article on please e-mail it to info@theaquaticprofessional.com

Discussion on water proof walkie talkies at Aquatics International AIConnect http://aiconnect.ning.com/forum/topics/lifeguard-walkietalkies

]]> http://theaquaticprofessional.com/blog/lifeguard-radios-on-a-tight-budget/feed/ 0 5 end of Summer Ideas http://theaquaticprofessional.com/blog/5-end-of-summer-ideas-for-the-aquatic-professional/ http://theaquaticprofessional.com/blog/5-end-of-summer-ideas-for-the-aquatic-professional/#comments Thu, 03 Sep 2009 06:33:08 +0000 admin http://theaquaticprofessional.com/blog/?p=11 Well the Summer for 2009 is slowly coming to a close.  Don’t forget that this is the time when many Aquatic Professionals get lazy and start to drop the ball.  This is the time when you need to really step up and think about ways to improve next year. Here are 5 ideas for how you can de-brief in a sense and really get yourself on the right track for next year.

  1. Get Staff input. Have staff fill out an anonymous questionnaire about your newly implemented ideas (if you didn’t have any then get cracking, every year you should have a few).  Make sure they know they should be honest but also think from the perspective of what is best for the organization/facility.  You don’t want there personal rants, belive me I have been there before.
  2. Review your feedback. Review your comment cards, lesson evaluation, e-service requests or etc. for clues on what is and is not working.
  3. Review your problems or challenges. Review your log books and personal log file to look for patterns.  Sometimes a simple problem fix  has taken you hours to figure out.  Fix it so next year you have one less headache.
  4. Analyze your budget. In these hard time analyze you budget and be prepared with the numbers from this year.  When the economy takes a hit sometimes the numbers show marked growth in Aquatics.  be prepared to justify why you exist.
  5. Build an end of season report. This can look like a massive document but break it down into very small simple areas.  Make sure there are pictures of that year and very simple graphs showing growth or changes in trends, programming staffing or otherwise.  THIS IS GOLD to upper level management and must be done to sell yourself as a true Aquatic Professional.

-Chris

The Aquatic Professional

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