ASD Lifeguards Expands Active Shooter Training to the Public
- Darcy Leutzinger
- Mar 7
- 4 min read
Written by Guri Sejzer
Supervisor, GLC Aquatic Safety Dept.
In a world where preparedness can make the difference between chaos and control, GLC Aquatic Safety Dept. (ASD) is stepping beyond the beach and into a broader mission: empowering the community with life-saving skills.
After successfully implementing comprehensive active shooter response training for its own lifeguard personnel, GLC’s Aquatic Safety Department (ASD) started offering this critical training to the general public. Known for vigilance, rapid response, and calm leadership under pressure, ASD´s instructors are uniquely positioned to teach practical skills that can save lives in high-stress emergencies.
From Water Safety to Comprehensive Emergency Preparedness
ASD lifeguards are already trained to recognize risk before it escalates, to prevent an incident before it even occurs — whether that’s a swimmer in distress in a rip current or a medical emergency on the sand or at the bike path. Their new active shooter training program builds on those same principles:
Situational awareness
Immediate medical intervention
Decisive action under pressure
Team coordination
By adapting these principles to active threat scenarios, ASD offers a training course that is practical, empowering, and grounded in real-world emergency response experience.
Cross trained as EMTs and public safety divers, in addition to marine fire-fighting and swift water rescue by some of the most prestigious certifying agencies, it was really an easy decision to choose which active shooter training program to offer. ASD´s lead instructor contacted Premier Training Services (https://premiertrainingservices.thinkific.com/) in order to offer the brand new REACTasap (active shooter awareness program), designed by Dr. Darcy Leutzinger (https://www.drdarcyl.com/) and Dr. Lindsay Leutzinger.
ASD lifeguards educate the public on how in a planet where 70% of its surface is covered by water, being water-competent is key to being safe in, on and around water. Likewise, in a world with escalating active violence, having the skills to adequately handle an active shooter incident, should be mandatory.
The Power of Situational Awareness
One of the most important skills ASD teaches is situational awareness — the ability to recognize warning signs and environmental cues before danger escalates.
Participants learn how to:
Identify unusual behaviors or suspicious activity
Maintain awareness in public spaces without panic
Develop exit strategies wherever they go
React quickly and confidently when seconds matter
Situational awareness isn’t about fear — it’s about preparedness. Just as lifeguards constantly scan the water for subtle signs of distress, individuals trained in awareness can spot early indicators of danger and act proactively.
Benefit: Increased confidence, faster decision-making, and a greater sense of personal security in everyday environments.
Bleeding Control: Saving Lives Before EMS Arrives
In any traumatic emergency, uncontrolled bleeding is one of the leading causes of preventable death. Through this course, ASD’s lifeguard-EMTs and CPR/AED/First-Aid instructors, emphasize bleeding control techniques that can stabilize victims until professional responders arrive.
Participants are trained in:
Applying direct pressure effectively
Using tourniquets properly
Packing wounds
Understanding when and how to act safely
These are the same rapid-response skills lifeguards rely on when seconds count.
Benefit: The ability to preserve life during the critical first minutes of an emergency — potentially saving coworkers, classmates, friends, or even family members.
Understanding Defensive Response & Disarmament Concepts
Another component of ASD’s program addresses the principles of defensive response during an active threat. Participants learn:
How to evaluate when escape is possible
How to barricade effectively
How to work as a team under stress
The fundamentals of disrupting an attacker if absolutely necessary
While avoidance and escape are always prioritized, ASD’s training acknowledges that in rare, last-resort scenarios, decisive collective action may be required.
The focus is not on aggression — it’s on survival.
Benefit: Reduced helplessness in crisis situations and the confidence to respond strategically if no other option exists.
Why Ocean Lifeguards Make Exceptional Instructors
Lifeguards are trained to remain calm amid chaos. They assess threats in real time, communicate clearly, and act decisively. ASD lifeguards bring:
Experience in emergency response, as EMRs and EMTs
Crisis leadership training
Medical intervention expertise
A prevention-first mindset
Their credibility stems from daily responsibility for public safety, ocean rescues, pre-hospital emergency medical care and disaster response — a responsibility they now extend beyond the beach and coastline.
A Community That Protects Itself
By offering this training to the general public, GLC Aquatic Safety Dept. reinforces a powerful message:
Prepared communities are safer communities.
When more individuals understand situational awareness, bleeding control, and coordinated defensive response, the overall resilience of the community increases.
This training isn’t about fear — it’s about empowerment. It equips ordinary people with extraordinary readiness.
Who Should Attend?
Teachers and school staff
Business owners and employees
Fitness and recreation professionals
Parents and caregivers
Community group leaders
Anyone who wants to be better prepared
No prior experience is required — just a willingness to learn and a commitment to safety.
Final Thoughts
GLC Aquatic Safety Dept. (ASD Lifeguards) has long been a trusted presence at public beaches, beach clubs, hotels, resorts, open water events, on board luxury yachts, film sets and aquatic facilities. Now, they are extending that trust to the broader community through comprehensive active shooter preparedness training.
In moments of crisis, training replaces panic with purpose.
And purpose saves lives.
For those ready to move from awareness to action, ASD’s REACTasap developed by retired SWAT Lieutenant Darcy Leutzinger, PhD, offers not just knowledge — but confidence, capability, and community strength.
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