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Is there a Red Cross Splash Pad Attendant course?
Quick answer
Yes — the American Red Cross offers a Splash Pad Attendant course as a non-lifeguard alternative for staffed splash pads. It's 8 hours, covers basic supervision, first aid, CPR, AED, and emergency procedures. Valid for 2 years. Used by municipalities and resorts that staff splash pads but don't need full lifeguards.
The American Red Cross Splash Pad Attendant course (sometimes branded under their broader Aquatic Attendant program) is designed for municipalities and operators who need trained staff at splash pads but don't need full Red Cross lifeguards. It's an 8-hour course covering: splash pad supervision principles, recognizing distress in zero-depth water, basic CPR and AED, First Aid, emergency action plans, and customer-service basics. Cost: $150-250. Valid 2 years; renewal requires a 4-hour refresher. Many Sun Belt municipalities (Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas) and family resorts (Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari) require all splash pad staff to hold this credential. The course doesn't qualify the holder to act as a pool lifeguard. Some states and large parks systems use their own equivalent — Texas A&M AgriLife runs a similar program for parks-and-rec staff. Good entry-level credential for parks summer hires.