Tom Griffiths - Author

Tom Griffiths is the director of Aquatics and safety officer for Intercollegiate Athletics at The Pennsylvania State University.

He oversees four indoor swimming pools, a large 50-meter outdoor pool, and a state-of-the-art fitness center.

As the safety officer for Intercollegiate Athletics, he is also responsible for safety for athletic and recreational sports on the University Park campus.

Griffiths teaches the Aquatic Facility Operators (AFO) course and the Better Beach Management course for the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA).

He is a prolific writer, speaker, and designer who has written five textbooks and has published more than 300 articles. In 2003, NRPA awarded his lifetime efforts in water safety with their prestigious Distinguished Aquatic Professional.

Traveling around the country teaching the AFO course has certainly helped Griffiths in preparing the second edition of this book.

His new additions, "Dr. Tom's Tips," come from his 30-plus years running pools in a variety of states plus all the ideas that facility managers and pool operators have given him during his AFO courses that he has taught during the past 20 years.

Griffiths also developed the Five-Minute Scanning Strategy for Lifeguards and designed a series of lifeguard stations manufactured by Paragon Aquatics to supplement his scanning technique and video.

His previously published books include Sport SCUBA Diving in Depth, 1991 (Princeton Book Company); The Swimming Pool, 1994 (Simon Schuster); and Better Beaches, 1999 (National Recreation and Park Association).

He is also the president of the aquatic consulting firm the Aquatic Safety Research Group (www.aquaticsafetygroup.com).

The Complete Swimming Pool Reference, 3rd ed. Print eBook