The City of Reno Aquatics department offers a variety of training including Lifeguarding, Lifeguard Instructor (LGI), and CPR/First Aid classes for the general public.
City of Reno Lifeguarding classes provide participants the knowledge and skills to prevent, recognize, and respond to emergencies in aquatics environments and to provide care for breathing and cardiac emergencies, injuries, and sudden illnesses until EMS personnel take over.
Upon successful completion of the class, participants will earn an American Red Cross Lifeguarding certification which includes Lifeguarding and CPR/AED & First Aid for Professional Rescuers. The certification is valid from 2 years of completion.
Participants must attend all classes within the selected session.
Prerequisites
- Must be 15 years of age by final scheduled session
- Complete a swim-tread-swim sequence without stopping to rest:
- Jump into the water and then swim 150 yards using front crawl, breaststroke or a combination of both.
- Maintain position at the surface of the water for 2 minutes by treading water using only the legs.
- Swim 50 yards using the front crawl, breaststroke or a combination of both.
- Complete a timed event within 1 minute, 40 seconds:
- 20 yard swim
- Surface dive to a depth of 10 feet to retrieve a 10-pound object
- Return to the surface and swim on the back to return to the starting point
- Exit the water without using a ladder or steps
Class Fees
- $140.00 Blended Learning (Combines online lecture and in-class training)
Join our team and we'll certify you for FREE! You must be an onboarded employee by the class start date. Apply online!
Location
2026 Session Dates
The dates specified below are the in-person meeting dates for each session. Each class is "blended learning" which means they meet in-person for approximately 25-26 hours with an additional 8 hours of online learning that must be completed. To be certified, participants must be able to attend all dates in a class session.
June 2026
In-person meeting dates:
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Monday, June 8 from 9am-3:30pm
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Tuesday, June 9 from 9am-3:30pm
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Wednesday, June 10 from 9am-3:30pm
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Thursday, June 11 from 9am-3:30pm
This is a recertification class for those that hold a currently valid American Red Cross Lifeguarding Certification. You may also take the course if you certification has expired in the last 30 days. The prerequisites for the class are the same as the Lifeguarding class, listed above.
Class fee
$124.00
Location
2026 Session Dates
The dates specified below are the in-person meeting dates for each session. Each class is "blended learning" which means they meet in-person for approximately 12 hours with an additional 8 hours of online learning that must be completed. To be certified, participants must be able to attend all dates in a class session.
June 2026
In-person meeting dates:
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Friday, June 12 from 10am-4pm
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Saturday, June 13 from 10am-4pm
Prerequisites
- Must be at least 17 years of age by final scheduled session
- Must have a currently valid American Red Cross Lifeguarding, CPR/AED, and First Aid certificate.
- Must complete prerequisite skills scenarios according to Red Cross standards.
Location
- Varies
Class Fees
- $275.00 for the general public
Session Dates
Please contact Ashley at CapeceA@Reno.Gov to be put on our LGI interest list or inquire about upcoming offerings. One class is typically offered in the spring and one in the fall depending on interest.
Lifeguard Instructor (LGI) Review Class
No offerings at this time. Check back!
Register for Lifeguard Instructor review class online, or by calling the Parks and Recreation registration line at 775-334-2262.The American Red Cross First Aid/CPR/AED program is designed to help participants recognize and respond appropriately to cardiac, breathing and first aid emergencies. This program teaches participants the knowledge and skills needed to give immediate care to an injured or ill person when minutes matter, and to decide whether advanced medical care is needed. Certification is for Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED and is valid for two years from certification date.
Prerequisites
- All ages are welcome, must be able to perform chest compressions adequately
- All classes are Blended Learning which means that 1-2 hours of online work must be completed prior to the in-person meeting date.
Class Fees
- $60.00
Location
Session Dates
The dates specified below are the in-person meeting dates for each session. Each class is "blended learning" which means they meet in-person for approximately 4 hours with an additional online learning that must be completed prior to the in-person meeting date.
May 2026
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Sunday, May 3 from 11am-2pm
Every second counts during cardiac arrest. The purpose of the American Red Cross Hands-Only CPR course is to teach untrained bystanders how to perform hands-only CPR. Having more bystanders trained in this simple skill can help save lives by putting more cardiac arrest victims within a few steps of lifesaving assistance. There is no certificate for this course.
Prerequisites
- All ages are welcome.
Class Fee
- $5.00
Location
2026 Session Dates
The dates specified below are the in-person meeting dates for each session.
May 2026
- Wednesday, May 27 from 4:30pm-5pm
- Wednesday, May 27 from 5:15pm-5:45pm
- Wednesday, May 27 from 6pm-6:30pm
- Wednesday, May 27 from 6:45pm-7:15pm
Please check back for up-to-date info, or email CapeceA@Reno.gov to be put on a contact list for classes. If you would like to work for the City of Reno, please apply for employment online at Job Openings.