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 betwee ...

. The DLRG is the largest voluntary lifesaving 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 as ...

. 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 i ...

*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 A water park (or waterpark, water world) is an amusement park that features ...

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, mit ...

, 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 i ...

/ Advanced First aid *Boating *Rescue diver * Swift water rescue *Radio and Communication Systems *

History

Two lifeguards of the German DLRG patrolling bathing area of a lake on stand-up paddling boards

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 ...

References

External links

*
DLRG-Jugend
{{Authority control Swimming in Germany Lifesaving organizations Non-profit organisations based in Lower Saxony 1913 establishments in Germany

Tasks

Qualifications

History

See also

References

External links