The German Life Saving Association (german: Deutsche Lebens-Rettungs-Gesellschaft or DLRG) is a relief organization for life saving in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. The DLRG is the largest
voluntary
Voluntary may refer to:
* Voluntary (music)
* Voluntary or volunteer, person participating via volunteering/volunteerism
* Voluntary muscle contraction
See also
* Voluntary action
* Voluntariness, in law and philosophy
* Voluntaryism
Volunt ...
lifesaving
Lifesaving is the act involving rescue, resuscitation and first aid. It often refers to water safety and aquatic rescue; however, it could include ice rescue, flood and river rescue, swimming pool rescue and other emergency medical services. ...
organization in the world.
With around 560,000 members, organised in approximately 2,100 local groups, the DLRG is the largest voluntary water rescue organization in the world. More than one million regular donors support the work of the DLRG.
Tasks
The most urgent goal of the DLRG is the creation and promotion of all activities used to fight
drowning
Drowning is a type of suffocation induced by the submersion of the mouth and nose in a liquid. Most instances of fatal drowning occur alone or in situations where others present are either unaware of the victim's situation or unable to offer a ...
. Additional tasks are:
*Teach
swimming
Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...
and self-rescue to the public
*Educate people about the dangers of swimming and how to avoid them
*Teach and train rescue swimming
*Basic and advanced training in
First Aid
First aid is the first and immediate assistance given to any person with either a minor or serious illness or injury, with care provided to preserve life, prevent the condition from worsening, or to promote recovery. It includes initial in ...
*Help and technical safety support for water related activities
*Providing
lifeguard
A lifeguard is a rescuer who supervises the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, and other water sports participants such as in a swimming pool, water park, beach, spa, river and lake. Lifeguards are trained in swimming and CPR/ AED first a ...
s at public places
*Perform rescue related exercises and water sports competitions
*Environmental protection at, on and in waters.
*Cooperation with German
civil defense
Civil defense ( en, region=gb, civil defence) or civil protection is an effort to protect the citizens of a state (generally non-combatants) from man-made and natural disasters. It uses the principles of emergency operations: prevention, miti ...
, especially concerning
flood
A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...
s.
*International Response Units
*International Operations (Lifeguards in Spain are often trained by DLRG members)
Qualifications
The DLRG trains interested members as qualified technical personnel in the following ranges:
*
Swimming
Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...
*
First aid
First aid is the first and immediate assistance given to any person with either a minor or serious illness or injury, with care provided to preserve life, prevent the condition from worsening, or to promote recovery. It includes initial in ...
/ Advanced First aid
*Boating
*Rescue
diver
*
Swift water rescue
Swift water rescue (also called "white water rescue") is a subset of technical rescue dealing in white water river conditions. Due to the added pressure of moving water, swift water rescue involves the use of specially trained personnel, ropes an ...
*Radio and Communication Systems
*
History
![Two lifeguards of the German DLRG patrolling bathing area of a lake on stand-up paddling boards](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Two_lifeguards_of_the_German_DLRG_patrolling_bathing_area_of_a_lake_on_stand-up_paddling_boards.jpg)
On 28 July 1912, a pier in Binz on the island
Rügen
Rügen (; la, Rugia, ) is Germany's largest island. It is located off the Pomeranian coast in the Baltic Sea and belongs to the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
The "gateway" to Rügen island is the Hanseatic city of Stralsund, where ...
, Germany, collapsed under the load of 1,000 people waiting for the cruise steamer ''Kronprinz Wilhelm''. Sailors of the German navy were able to save most people, but 16 people died because they could not swim, including two children. This catastrophe led to the foundation of the "Deutsche Lebens-Rettungs-Gesellschaft (DLRG)" (''German lifesaving organization'') on 19 October 1913 in
Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...
.
See also
*
Wasserwacht
The Wasserwacht (; ''water watch'' or ''water guard'') is a German lifeguard service. It is one of the five voluntary societies of the German Red Cross. The Wasserwacht is a non-profit organization made up of on volunteers.
Tasks
The main tas ...
*
Lifeguard
A lifeguard is a rescuer who supervises the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, and other water sports participants such as in a swimming pool, water park, beach, spa, river and lake. Lifeguards are trained in swimming and CPR/ AED first a ...
*
German rescue swimming badge
The German rescue swimming badge (German: ''Deutsches Rettungsschwimmabzeichen'') is awarded by the Wasserwacht of the German Red Cross and the DLRG for proficiency in rescue swimming skills. The German rescue swimming badge is awarded in bronze, ...
References
External links
*
DLRG-Jugend
{{Authority control
Swimming in Germany
Lifesaving organizations
Non-profit organisations based in Lower Saxony
1913 establishments in Germany