Professional Ocean Lifeguards gather at Bondi

Australia's leading professional ocean lifeguards will converge on Bondi this Wednesday and Thursday to attend the 17th annual ocean lifeguard industry conference, 'Managing Beaches in an Age of New Technologies'.

Introducing the event, Australian Professional Ocean Lifeguard Association (APOLA) President Bruce Hopkins explains "over two days ocean lifeguards from council lifeguard services in Western Australia, Queensland and NSW will focus on the examination of new technologies that may prove useful to a new generation of lifeguards who don't just have to be competent in the use of rescue and emergency care equipment."

Hopkins is Lifeguard Services Coordinator for event host Waverley Council responsible for Australia's busiest and most famous beach, Bondi.

The annual ocean lifeguard industry conference provides opportunities for ocean lifeguard professionals to up-date their training, review best practices in rescue, emergency care, community education and client management and as well celebrate the achievements of those ocean lifeguards gaining recognition through meritorious efforts when skill and quick thinking is the only difference between life and death.

APOLA National Field Officer Greg Hackfath (who is also the Lifeguard Coordinator at Coffs Harbour in NSW) adds "like previous conferences which have given rise to using modern medical approaches such defibrillation, the use of analgesic gases for pain management and advanced spinal trauma management, there is always something new for professional lifeguards to consider when we gather annually.

"The annual conference, being hosted for the second time by Waverley Council, provides the ideal forum for Council lifeguard staff from our major centres and biggest tourist destinations to develop improvement in water safety education, beach management and patient care for the millions visitors who frequent our most popular beaches each year.

"Best operational practice for lifeguard services can mean different things in different locations and so wavejet propelled rescue boards, waterproof radio communications systems and portable lifeguard towers, for example, may become more prevalent just as did jet skis with rescue sleds revolutionise response capabilities almost two decades ago."

APOLA National Secretary John Andrews continues "this year's conference topics will include new technology in practices with on-beach demonstrations and workshops examining new technologies for data collection, public education and lifeguard training."

APOLA media spokesperson and professional ocean lifeguard of more than twenty years, Terry McDermott, who regularly works at busy Bondi Beach says that the pressure on ocean lifeguards to manage beach visitors is greater than at any other time he can remember and that the popular Network 10 prime time television series Bondi Rescue (now in its eighth season and a five-time Logie winner), has not only been a godsend for community beach safety education, but has also helped viewers gain an insight into the skill and teamwork required of today's Council professional ocean lifeguards.

McDermott concludes "the challenge for all Councils who control and manage our beaches is to continually look to improve all aspects of their Lifeguard operations to ensure that lifeguard programs always address community education, risk management and care for our beaches while juggling the competing demands of different recreational activity. The continued population shift to coastal areas and growth of water sports including small boating, jet skis, kite boards and commercial activity in learn-to-surf and stand-up-paddle have impacted on the traditional role of Council professional ocean lifeguards. Basically community expectation has risen for Councils to provide capable, highly trained lifeguards with a full skill-set in risk management, rescue and conflict resolution."

The conferen .....

For more information go to www.apola.asn.au/