Los Angeles County Lifeguards
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1914 |
| Employees | 782 lifeguards [1] |
| Staffing | Combination (Recurrent & Career) |
| EMS level | ALS & BLS |
| Facilities and equipment | |
| Stations | 4 Section Headquarters, 15 Substations, 158 Towers |
| Rescues | 10,000+ |
| Rescue boats | 10 |
Introduction
A division of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the Lifeguard operations safeguard 31 miles (50 km) of beach and 72 miles (116 km) of coastline, from San Pedro in the south, to Malibu in the north. The Los Angeles County Lifeguard Service served as the model for the hit television show “Baywatch.”
Lifeguards also provide Paramedic and rescue boat services to Catalina Island, with operations out of Avalon and the Isthmus.
The Los Angeles County Lifeguard service is the largest professional lifeguard service in the world. Entering the year 2005, the Los Angeles County Lifeguard Service employs 132 year-round lifeguards (chiefs, captains and ocean lifeguard specialists) and over 650 seasonal lifeguards (recurrents). Operating out of four Sectional Headquarters, located in Hermosa, Santa Monica, Marina Del Rey and Zuma beach. Each of these headquarters staffs a 24-hour EMT-D response unit, and are part of the 911 system.
In addition to providing for beach safety and emergency medical services, LA County Lifeguards have specialized training for Baywatch rescue boat operations, underwater rescue and recovery, swift water rescue, cliff rescue, marine mammal rescue and marine firefighting.