Ron Arendas, the Water Safety Guy
Water Safety Guy was established as a brand in 1995 by Ron Arendas (see photo right). Already “immersed” in the aquatics field, Ron sought a name that might identify his key purpose to provide information and leadership in aquatics/health & safety education. Ron’s resume includes the following:
- Competitive swimmer, age group/high school/college, 1963 to 1975
- Competitive water polo, high school/college, 1970 to 1975
- Lifeguard/swimming instructor, various swimming pools, 1973 to 1975, 1977 to 1979, 1986, 1990 to 1992
- Senior Lifeguard/Aquatics Coordinator, various swimming pools, 1980 to 1984, 1993 to 1995
- Policy/procedure and technical writer/editor/researcher, various companies, 1984 to 2014
- American Red Cross WSI, 1974 to present
- American Red Cross, WSIT, 1980 to present
- American Red Cross LGI/LGIT, 1986 to present
- American Red Cross National Faculty for Lifeguard Training, 1995
- American Red Cross Health & Safety Specialist, State-level, 1995 to 2002
- Water Safety Guy, aquatics/health & safety training and leadership, 1995 to present
Ron teaching swimming lessons, 1974
Ron’s first Junior Fist Aid certificate, 1969
Ron recently explained his interest in all areas of safety:
“Water safety exists at many levels: caregiver supervision, self-rescue/reliance, bystander response, and lifeguard training. To be complete, water safety and lifeguard training must also include first aid, CPR, and other safety measures. We who are passionately involved in these fields should extend the spirit of our commitment to all areas that make our families, communities, and workplaces safer.”