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international
international
Feature
The Royal National
Lifeboat institution
RNLI Lifeguards
The lifeguards are a growth part of the services delivered by the
RNLI and from their inception in 2001 the RNLI lifeguards now patrol
225 beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. We have
lifeguards from around the world, including Australia, New Zealand,
South Africa, Ireland and a number of European countries.
Our aim is to expand our lifeguarding service, so that every region
that needs lifeguard cover on its beaches has an appropriate level of
beach safety service provision.
In 2014, the lifeguards demonstrated their commitment to the
communities they service, and the statistics are certainly impressive:
• 1,150 lifeguards recruited, trained and equipped
• 117,541 people attended education programs
• 2,363,033 preventative actions completed
• 17,050 incidents responded to
• 19,353 people aided.
A challenge remains to tackle the problem of fatalities that continue
to occur around our coastline where we have not yet been able to
help. Next year, the lifeguards will return to the beaches looking to
build on our existing services and strive to save more
lives in 2016.
Work as an RNLI Lifeguard
in summer 2016?
We think that working as an RNLI lifeguard is one of the best
summer jobs going in the UK. It will enable you to train and
work with a great team of like-minded people. All this and
you’ll be working from the beach, earning a decent hourly
rate—and doing what lifeguards do best, helping to save lives
every day.
Applications are open to anyone aged 16 or over who is able
to meet the RNLI fitness and medical standards and has an
internationally recognised beach lifeguard qualification.
Recruitment for the 2016 season will begin early in the new
year. We have a number of overseas lifeguards working for us
each year. Unfortunately we can’t help with visa applications,
and this remains the responsibility of the applicants.
Volunteering is at the heart of the RNLI, so we also welcome
volunteers to patrol alongside our professional lifeguards and
that may be an option if you are in the UK for other reasons
and want to keep your hand into lifeguarding.
For more information: https://jobs.rnli.org
Saving lives at sea
Peter Dawes, Lifesaving
Services Manager
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is a
sea rescue service first established in 1824. The
lifeguard service began with 26 beach lifeguard
units in the Dorset, Devon and Cornwall areas. Now,
the RNLI boasts lifeguard services throughout England,
Northern Ireland, Wales and Jersey—with the newest
services now in Scotland.
The lifeguard services are seasonal and vary around the country
from Easter to October with peak season during summer holidays
in July and August.
In the United Kingdom (UK) and Republic of Ireland the
RNLI provides:
• A strategically located fleet of all-weather lifeboats, which are
available at all times, and tactically placed inshore craft, which are
subject to weather limitations
• A lifeguard service, predominantly on a seasonal basis
• Coastal safety, research and education programs, and
• Flood response.
The RNLI has a simple purpose—to save lives at sea—and is
dedicated to the vision of ending preventable loss of life.
We are here to educate, supervise and ultimately rescue those who
are at risk from drowning, while also looking to influence those who
can further help our cause.
Fitness standard
• 400m swim in 7:30 or under with first 200 in 3:30 or under
• 50m swim (25m underwater/25m surface swim) in
50 seconds or under
• 200m beach run in 40 seconds or under
46 Australian Lifeguard Magazine
Australian Lifeguard Magazine 47