Show notes
Welcome to this episode of The Lifeguard Project Podcast, where today we interview Dr. Andrew Schmidt. Dr. Schmidt started as a junior lifeguard and progressed through the professional lifeguard ranks at Jacksonville Beach, Florida. He currently serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Florida College of Medicine Jacksonville.He's a medical director of Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue, deputy Medical Director of University of Florida Health's Trauma one Flight program, and co-founder of Lifeguards Without Borders, a nonprofit dedicated to international drowning prevention. He's also a board member of the Surfers Medical Association and a lead instructor with Surfing Medicine International.Dr. Schmidt has over a decade of experience on the front lines of emergency care and water safety. He has also authored key drowning treatment guidelines and helped shape national and international policy and trained lifeguards, medics and physicians around the world. From academic research to ocean rescue operation, he brings a spectrum of unique experience, making him a well-respected professional at the intersection of medicine, rescue, and public health.In this episode, we explore the medical and physiological realities of drowning along with some of its core principles. We'll go into the crucial role that lifeguards and pre-hospital responders have, and how cohesive emergency care protocols can be the difference in these life-saving measures. We'll also dig deep into the importance of education, prevention, and public policy.We'll take you through the process and specific treatment considerations of drowning from the rescue phase with lifeguards on the beach to the back of the ambulance, into the emergency room, and all the way to the ICU. So stay tuned and enjoy the conversation. And thanks as always for supporting the Lifeguard project.00:00 Introduction to Dr. Andrew Schmidt02:38 Dr. Schmidt's Lifeguard Journey04:38 Balancing Medicine and Lifeguarding06:52 Impact of Baywatch on Lifeguarding12:08 The Critical Role of Lifeguards in Drowning Prevention21:45 Challenges in Drowning Data Collection34:33 Hypoxia in Drowning36:39 Reversing Hypoxia38:25 Challenges in Drowning Protocols56:11 The Role of Surfers in Rescue Operations01:07:17 Challenges of Public Access Buoy Programs01:08:29 Training and Real-Life Rescue Simulations01:10:19 Respect and Training for Lifeguards01:12:44 Funding and Support for Lifeguard Programs01:18:30 Drowning Research and Public Awareness01:23:27 Medical Protocols and Pre-Hospital Care01:34:30 Final ThoughtsAndrews Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/@jaxems/videosDrowning Facts Website:https://www.notoutofthewater.com/Andrew's Site:https://surfemergency.com/Presented by The Ben Carlson Foundation:https://www.bencarlsonfoundation.org/https://www.instagram.com/bencarlson_foundation/Watch the Podcast on YouTube Here:https://youtu.be/kM2_7KuS6rUSubscribe to the Podcast Here:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lifeguard-project/id1748861682https://open.spotify.com/show/7EoZTDiET6jJ6XJ1g5X54thttps://www.instagram.com/thelifeguardproject/https://thelifeguardproject.org/Host, Drasko Bogdanovic:https://www.bogdogphoto.com/https://www.instagram.com/bogdogphoto/#TheLifeguardProjectPodcast #BenCarlsonFoundation #LifeguardPodcast