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Safety Classes
Safety education classes are offered throughout the year at the Community Center.
Below are safety classes and descriptions. To find out if a class is currently being offered, click the Register for Safety Classes button.
Babysitter's Training and Pediatric First Aid/CPR is recommended for ages 11-14 years old.
This course provides youth who are planning to babysit with the knowledge and skills necessary to safely and responsibly care for children and infants. Participants develop leadership skills, learn how to develop a babysitting business, help keep themselves and others safe, help children behave, and learn basic child care and basic first aid.
This course is roughly 5 hours in length (time may vary depending on number of participants), and upon completion participants receive a certification in Babysitter's Training with Pediatric First Aid/CPR. Participants also receive an Emergency Reference Guide, packet of child care topic fact sheets and a keychain face shield for CPR. Participants can also request to receive an electronic copy of the Babysitter's Manual.
This course is designed for participants wanting to learn how to keep themselves and others safe in aquatic environments, both at home and in the community.
Individuals 14 and older learn how to protect themselves and others from drowning in a multitude of environments. This class also prepares participants to recognize, prevent and respond to many types of aquatic emergencies. The course is presented both in the classroom and in the pool in chest-deep water.
Topics include drowning prevention at home and the drowning process, non-swimming rescues, boating safety, cold-water safety, simple in-water rescues, self rescue in several types of environments and spinal injury in the water.
In-water skills are recommended for participants who are comfortable fully submerging in water at chest height, able to float on their front or back, and able to tread water for 1 minute. Participants who are uncomfortable or unable to do these in-water skills are encouraged to observe all in-water portions of class.
The Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED course is designed for participants ages 14 or older.
The course teaches students to recognize, respond and care for breathing and cardiac emergencies, as well as a variety of first aid emergencies such as burns, cuts, scrapes, sudden illnesses, head, neck and back injuries, and heat and cold emergencies to help victims of any age.
Students who successfully complete this course receive a certificate for Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED valid for two years. Meets criteria for CPR/AED/First Aid (Adult/Pediatric) for Professional Rescuers. Participants also receive a key chain face shield for CPR.
Provides participants with the knowledge and skills to prevent, recognize and respond to aquatic emergencies, and to provide care for breathing and cardiac emergencies, injuries and sudden illnesses until EMS personnel take over.
Upon completion of this course participants receive a certification in Lifeguarding with CPR/AED for professional rescuers with First Aid valid for 2 years. This is a blended learning class. All online content must be completed prior to the in-class portion. Participants must be 15 years old on or before the last day of class and able to complete the swimming prerequisites on the first day of class.
Swimming Prerequisites
- Jump into the water from the side, totally submerge, recover to the surface and swim 150 yards. After swimming 150 yards, maintain position at the surface of the water for 2 minutes by treading (without the use of hands). After treading, swim 50 more yards. While swimming, you must swim continuously, keeping your face in the water and demonstrating good breath control. You may use the front crawl, breaststroke, or a combination of both. Swimming on the back or side is not permitted. Swim goggles are allowed.
- Starting in the water, swim 20 yards. Your face may be in or out of the water. Surface dive to a depth of 7 to 10 feet to retrieve a 10-pound object. Return to the surface and swim 20 yards on your back to return to the starting point, holding the object at the surface with both hands and keeping your face at or near the surface. Swimming the distance underwater is not permitted. Exit the water without using a ladder or the steps. This must be completed in 1 minute, 40 seconds. Swim goggles are not allowed.
Course is designed for individuals ages 14 and older wanting to learn how to handle emergency situations in delayed-help environments, such as wilderness and remote environments, urban disasters, tornadoes, earthquakes and hurricanes.
Topics focus on first aid and sudden illness such as altitude-related illnesses, wound care, and bone and joint injuries. Essential for campers and hikers of any skill level, or people who work in a wilderness setting, this program empowers you to integrate emergency action principles in settings where emergency medical response may be more than an hour away.
This course also teaches students to recognize, respond and care for breathing and cardiac emergencies as well as a variety of first aid emergencies such as burns, cuts, scrapes, head, neck and back injuries, and heat and cold emergencies for victims of any age.
Safety Classes FAQs
Babysitter's Training
Safety classes are open to all genders.
We don't offer specific classes just for Girl Scouts. However, if you have a large group and there are no openings in any of our classes it may be possible to add another class or another instructor to accommodate more participants.
Extra class requests should be made by emailing Aquatics@edenprairie.org.
Age guidelines are set by the Red Cross and we do have to follow those, however there may be exceptions
Any age override requests should be made by emailing Aquatics@edenprairie.org.
Basic Water Safety
Exceptions to the minimum age requirement can be requested by emailing Aquatics@edenprairie.org.
The in-water portion of this class is not required and we encourage individuals of all swimming abilities to take this course.
Those who are uncomfortable in chest-deep water or with going underwater may observe the in-water portion of the class.
No, this class does not provide any certification. It is intended for basic knowledge to keep yourself and others safe, and what to do in a water emergency.
CPR
No. The American Red Cross has very specific age requirements that we are required to follow.
Currently, recertification classes are accommodated only by request.
Requests for CPR recertification classes should be emailed to Aquatics@edenprairie.org.
Lifeguarding
Should you not pass the class prerequisites you can either receive a refund of 70% or move into a future class.
Refunds are not automatically issued, to receive a class refund email Aquatics@edenprairie.org.
No. The Red Cross has very specific age requirements for each class that we are required to follow.
All online work MUST be completed prior to the start of the class.
Any issues with completing the online content should be emailed Aquatics@edenprairie.org.
Is there a discount on the Lifeguarding class if I want to work at the Eden Prairie Community Center?
Yes, for anyone interested in working as a lifeguard at the Community Center there is a discounted rate.
Participants must complete the lifeguard job application and email Aquatics@edenprairie.org.
After successful completion of the course, you will receive an email with a certificate (PDF document) from the Red Cross within 10 business of the last course date.
Why do I need to use a personal email instead of a work, school or parent email when registering for Lifeguarding?
The American Red Cross creates an account for each person based on their email address. If/when you need to recertify or want to take another course and use a different email address for any reason, a new account will be created and will not include any record of previous certifications.
Other common certifications lifeguards often get (including recertifications) require the base certification of Lifeguard. It is extremely difficult and frustrating to get the Red Cross to merge your accounts and often you need to repeatedly call to get them merged.
Why do I only get 2 chances to pass the prerequisites and the final skills or try to pass those skills on a different day?
All standards for the Lifeguarding course are created by the American Red Cross, including the maximum of 2 chances to pass all required skills.
As Red Cross instructors we must follow these standards if we want to continue certifying lifeguards.
Wilderness and Remote First Aid
No CPR certification is necessary prior to the start of this class.
CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers with First Aid is included in the class length and price. If you have already earned the American Red Cross CPR/AED for Professional Rescuer with First Aid certification, please email Aquatics@edenprairie.org before registering.
Any Boy Scouts taking this course who are in need of swim tests can do so before or after any class days.
If you need a swim test, please email Aquatics@edenprairie.org PRIOR to the start of class.
This course is based on the Boy Scouts of America Wilderness First Aid Curriculum and Doctrine Guidelines, and also meets criteria toward earning BSA Wilderness First Aid and CPR badges.
Students who successfully complete this course receive certificates for Wilderness First Aid valid for two years AND for CPR/AED for Professional Rescuer with First Aid.