Australian Lifeguard Service to run beach patrol service for Eurobodalla Council

Eurobodalla Council, located in the South Coast region of NSW, has appointed Australian Lifeguard Service (ALS) as contractor to operate its professional beach patrol service for the next two summer seasons.

ALS will run the service from Wednesday 20th December 2023 until Monday 29th January 2024, and the call is out for locals keen to be part of the team.

Eurobodalla Mayor Mathew Hatcher said professional lifeguards will be back at eight beaches, but looking a little different this summer.

Mayor Hatcher notes "Lifeguards won't be in blue uniforms, but instead red and yellow – similar to volunteer lifesavers' uniforms,

"Eurobodalla's beaches get quite busy as they're a popular destination for tourists and locals; I always appreciate knowing when and where it's safe to swim.

"I hope everyone does the right thing, following advice from lifeguards and lifesavers - because we all know how quickly conditions can change along our coastline."

Surf club volunteers continue to patrol their beaches as usual on weekends and public holidays, while ALS lifeguards cover the days in between from 9am-5pm.

On popular beaches without surf clubs, like North Head, Tuross and Dalmeny, ALS lifeguards will be on duty seven days a week.

Surf Life Saving NSW (SLSNSW) Chief Executive, Steven Pearce said ALS works closely with surf clubs and their members and adds "The ALS will seamlessly integrate with Surf Life Saving volunteers and our SLSNSW State Operations Centre, providing greater coverage and response across the coastline.

"The ALS will be deploying a crew of fully trained lifeguards, supervisors and equipment, including four jet skis to cover the large stretch of this spectacular coastline."

ALS is offering training for locals keen to be part of the lifeguard team this summer.

Australian Lifeguard Service is commercial subsidiary of Surf Life Saving Australia that contracts to local government and other service providers.

To find out more about becoming a lifeguard, check out the ALS website.