APAP
A Continuum of Care for Aquatic Professionals
Aquatic professionals - from pool lifeguards to open water rescue teams - perform occupational first responder functions, often with little formal psychological support behind them. The Aquatic Professional Assistance Program (APAP) is ILCIRA's continuum of care for the aquatics industry, delivered in strategic alliance with the Association of Aquatic Professionals (AOAP): proactive resilience and peer support today, and structured post-incident crisis intervention beginning in 2028.
Built on internationally recognized standards and designed by people who understand the aquatics industry – not adapted from a generic first-responder program.
The Continuum
Two Programs, One Continuum of Care for Aquatic Professionals
Aquatic professionals - from pool lifeguards to open water rescue teams - perform occupational first responder functions, and deserve the same psychological support infrastructure as any other emergency responder.
Available now
Resilience First Aid (RFA) Peer Support Certification
A peer support and resilience-building certification, built on the PR6 resilience model. RFA is a program of Driven Resilience, delivered by ILCIRA as a certified partner - equipping aquatic staff to strengthen one another before a critical incident occurs, and aligning aquatic psychological preparedness training with best practices already established across other first responder professions.
Launching 2028
Aquatic Critical Incident Response Team (AqCIRT)
An ICISF Accredited Critical Incident Stress Management Team, purpose-built for the aquatics sector. AqCIRT delivers structured post-incident crisis intervention through trained Lifeguard Peer Support Volunteers, with referral pathways to more advanced support resources. Where a facility has an Employee Assistance Program, AqCIRT works alongside it providing a clear pathway to covered clinical support when it's indicated.
people can benefit from strengthening resilience skills
A Preventative Approach to Psychological Readiness
Resilience skills help protect against conditions such as depression and anxiety - and building them doesn't require waiting until someone needs professional treatment. Through RFA, aquatic staff learn to recognize signs of low resilience, use proactive peer-support language, and build resilience in one another, support that starts before a critical incident occurs, not after.
Timeline
Where APAP Stands Today
Get Started
Three Steps Operators Can Take Now
1
Designate a program sponsor
Name an aquatic leader or manager to sponsor the facility's peer support and psychological-preparedness program, with authority to integrate it into operations, training, and referral pathways.
2
Send staff through RFA Peer Support Certification
To start, enroll at least two staff (18+) to earn the three-year credential - ideally the program sponsor plus one front-line professional with no disciplinary role.
Facilities may want to grow their Peer Support Team over time, as budgets and demands necessitate. We provide this guidance on scaling team size based on the number of employees supported:
| RFA Peer Supporters | Covered Workforce Size |
|---|---|
| 1 | Up to 50 employees |
| 2 | 51-100 employees |
| 3 | 101-150 employees |
| 4 | 151-200 employees |
| 5 | 201-300 employees |
| 6 | 301-400 employees |
| 7 | 401-500 employees |
3
Sign up for Program & Research Updates
Be notified as AqCIRT post-incident response services roll out in 2028, and start budgeting now for future services and RFA maintenance.
