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METAIRIE, La – A lifeguard’s life is always lived on the line.

Or pretty close.

And now, with a pandemic even at the swimming pool, there’s the need for a life-saving tool.

It’s called the BVM.

That stands for Bag Valve Mask.

WGNO’s Bill Wood shows lifeguards ready to use it at New Orleans YMCA locations.

With 200 lifeguards on duty at six pools around New Orleans, the YMCA knows the new definition of safety during the unforgettable Summer of 2020.

The BVM is an invention from the fifties, actually.

It enables a lifeguard to perform life-saving rescue breathing techniques without any body contact.