PROFESSIONAL and volunteer lifeguards from the Mid North Coast are undertaking maintenance and upgrading of qualifications in the off-season.
At South West Rocks, a class of 16 professional lifeguards have undertaken a new and compulsory two-day Beach Operations and Management (BOM) course under the guidance of the Australian Lifeguard Service’s James Turnham (Mid NSW Lifeguard Coordinator and Port Macquarie Supervisor), Jake Russo (Bellingen Nambucca Lifeguard Supervisor), and Richard Clarke (Kempsey Lifeguard Supervisor).
The two days were led by Port Macquarie lifeguard James Turnham, who was rewarded for his outstanding contribution to the Australian Lifeguard Service (ALS) with the 2018 DHL Lifeguard of the Year at the Surf Life Saving Awards of Excellence.
“Being a lifeguard isn’t just about donning a red uniform and sitting by the water’s edge,” James said.
“Having a lifeguard accreditation is a journey filled with excitement, and difficulties, and opens doors for personal and professional growth.
“There is also physical fitness, development of leadership skills, and the opportunity to have diverse workplace settings including overseas work.”
The BOM course is designed to empower those who will be leading a surf rescue team or patrol to respond to a range of incidents including search and rescue operations.
This ensures that graduates are able to control a Level 1 incident with only initial responders and their local resources, without requiring the deployment of additional resources from other areas or agencies.
In the context of coastal safety, ‘volunteer lifesavers’ refer to members of Surf Life Saving clubs, who patrol beaches on weekends and public holidays during the ‘surf season’ which, in general, runs from the end of September to the end of April each year.
‘Professional lifeguards’ are paid employees who are accredited mostly through training with ALS, which is the commercial arm of Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA), and the complementary water safety organisation, the Royal Life Saving Society. These lifeguards find employment at a variety of venues, including public and private swimming pools, beaches, water parks, and rivers, some of which are open year-round.
