Australian Lifeguard Service

+ About the Lifeguard Service

The Australian lifeguard service in Victoria provides both Beach Lifeguard Services and Event Water safety and First Aid Services, providing expert services in water safety management and first aid for sporting and recreational events. LSV is positioned to support your event making use of highly trained lifeguards and our specialist equipment.

+ Beach Lifeguard Service

The Australian Lifeguard Service patrols 35 beaches across the Victorian state during main season from boxing day through Australia Day weekend with pre-season and post season in several locations across the state.

Volunteer lifesavers provide patrols on weekends and most public holidays during this period. Additional services are provided at unpatrolled locations and midweek by employed Lifeguards during the peak summer period.

For exact beach locations and further information please visit beachsafe.org.au

+ Event Lifeguard Service

As a recognised emergency service, Life Saving Victoria provides highly trained and experience Lifeguards to provide both Water Safety and First Aid Services,across the Melbourne metropolitan, regional and rural areas throughout the state, to most aquatic environments both in-water and land-based.

Our Lifeguards are highly skilled in rescue, resuscitation, treatment of both major and minor first aid, incident management, with strong customer service focus.

With Life Saving Victoria’s extensive capabilities and resources, we cater to most aquatic environment, proving exceptional event lifesaving services.

+ RWC Lifeguard Services

As well as the Beach Lifeguard and Event Lifeguard space, LSV operates an additional 7 roving RWC patrol services which include service in the Bass, Kingston, Geelong, Peninsula, Port Philip, Surf Coast Eact & West.

+ How to Become a Paid Lifeguard

LSV employs over 250 staff as Paid Lifeguards to protect the Victorian public during the peak summer season. Applications for lifeguards are sought annually from July to September with interviews and other recruitment processes taking place from October.

All new lifeguards are encouraged to attend LSV’s Advanced Lifesaving Camp where they undertake scenario based activities, learn from content experts and understand how to lifeguard Victoria’s beaches effectively.

+ Pre-requisites

• Bronze Medallion
• First Aid (FA) – (HLTAID003)
• Advanced Resuscitation Techniques (ART) – (HLTAID007)
• Silver Medallion Beach Management (SMBM)
• IRB Crew (IRBC)
• SSV Operator (ATV) (except those under 18 years of age)
• Current Employment Working with Children Check (WWCC) *note this includes all lifeguards including those under 18 years of age

Strongly Encouraged

• Gold Medallion (GM)
• IRB Driver (IRBD)
• Pool Lifeguard

Essential Personal Specification

• Lifeguards are required to keep physically fit in order to perform all Lifeguard duties. A fitness criteria is outlined below in which all prospective lifeguards and current lifeguards are required to pass.

Lifeguarding/Lifesaving patrol experience

• Proven ability to communicate effectively with staff and the public
• Demonstrate an ability to work in a team situation
• Demonstrate ability, in a 100 metre rescue tube swim, patient pick up and return to shore
• Successfully demonstrate current resuscitation techniques
• Successfully complete a theory examination
• Successfully complete an 400m Swim/800m run/400m board paddle/800m run in under 25 minutes

+ Gold Medallion

Although the Gold Medallion is not a pre-requisite to become a Paid Lifeguard, it is strongly recommended. To obtain the Gold Medallion, an 800m swim time of 14 minutes or less is required.

Participants are encouraged to train towards this goal prior, and an opportunity to complete the swim will be provided during the Advanced Lifesaving Camp, or in the annual skills maintenance sessions for Lifeguards.