Chicago, IL

Long Beach, NY

Welcome to GO-FIRST!

You are about to meet some of the coolest kids and best friends you will ever know: the junior lifeguards — JGs — from some of the best programs in America and around the world.

From Surf Camp to CERT (Community Emergency Response Teams) to CPR, you will see-learn-and-do the GO-FIRST Big 5 of RESCUE, SAFETY, HEALTH, SERVICE and COOL WATER by joining in the daily lessons of your JG hosts at their local beaches and pools.

They swim, surf, skateboard, wheel and work through fitness, fun and a serious adventure-learning schedule of First Responder values, skills and services — and so can you!

The lead unit — GO 10-8! Tour and Team — introduces you to the junior lifeguards who are your special hosts and new friends in the GO-FIRST program.

Next are the Big 5 action-learning units: RESCUE, SAFETY, HEALTH, SERVICE and COOL WATER.

HEALTH is in the middle of the Big 5 for a very special reason: the most important First Response to Life is your personal commitment to make smart and healthy life decisions. Your fitness and growth in mind, body and soul is the bridge between the skills of RESCUE and SAFETY and the spirit of SERVICE and COOL WATER.

Each unit is hosted by a featured junior lifeguard program and is presented in a multimedia video, voice and text format. And each ends with a sample Assignment and Links to additional learning resources.

As GO-FIRST is only an introductory program, we direct you to the best, most comprehensive and some of the newest First Responder training systems, Surfing magazines and Community Service and Marine Protection programs in both print and electronic formats.

As an example, for RESCUE and SAFETY, we direct you to the United States Lifesaving Association Manual of Open Water Lifesaving (see www.usla.org). For HEALTH, we send you to America's Doctor, the once ocean lifeguard and now U.S. Surgeon General VADM Richard "Coast-to-Coast" Carmona, (see www.hhs.org). For COOL WATER, we suggest you safari with Surf Aid International, founded in New Zealand (see www.surfaidinternational.org. We also direct you to the global network of the International Life Saving Federation and many of its members (see www.ilsf.org). Wait 'til you see the JG programs in Africa, Greater Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Europe!

In our Legends of Lifeguarding section, you will meet some of our most valuable adventure-learning resources. You will meet women and men who have dedicated their lives to LIFE. Our National Chairman, Chicago's legendary Joe Pecoraro, and Michael Kiefer, a Long Beach (NY) lifeguard who became a NY city firefighter in January 2001 and gave his life for all of us on 9-11.

Please note that most JG programs place different age groups into A (14-17), B (12-13) and C (9-11) divisions, mostly to respect age-related differences in physical strength and waterwork. (Some JG programs have Australia-inspired "Nipper" divisions, starting with 5 year olds.) In this, the pilot GO-FIRST website, we present As, Bs and Cs together in most of the units.

Now, join two students who grew into First Responders through their local JG programs — Brent Reone of Chicago's JGs, air-sea rescue and now, city firefighters, and Nilka Almonte of Long Beach (NY) JGs and lifeguards — to learn more about GO-FIRST and the wonderful JG programs around America and the world that serve as our inspiration.