What is patrolling?
Many Surf Life Saving Clubs provide a beach patrol, a valuable voluntary community contribution to ensure safer beaches. This is a vital service, offering beach safety advice, education, first aid, prevention and rescue services.
Surf Life Saving GB formed a strategic partnership with the RNLI to save more lives on beaches. We support the RNLI service by providing the knowledge, skills and many of the people that volunteer or are employed.
We encourage water users to swim between the flags on a lifeguard patrolled beach, from May to October between 10am and 6pm. However, long summer evenings encourage people to enter the water after the lifeguards have finished for the day, this is when most rescues by Surf Life Saving Volunteers occur.
SLSGB Patrol Package Toolkits
The SLSGB Patrol pack provides a toolkit to enable swift set up of a Lifeguard patrol at your club or organisation to help more people enjoy the water and beach safely. The package includes the common forms, procedures, templates and policies required to set up an SLSGB Patrol. It is designed to enable you to work independently as an organisation to provide a full patrolling service or to provide additional support to services already in place, in your surrounding location. This may include out of hours patrols, such as mornings or evenings as well as expanding the cover already in place at a large or busy beach.
Get your club or organisation involved in a patrol that suits your local area needs. Click here for example LOP toolkit.
Contact SLSGB and sign up as a probationary accredited centre on the patrol scheme to receive your free Patrol toolkit and supporting resources.
SLSGB Patrol Inspection Criteria and Toolkit
An SLSGB patrol must be inspected by an SLSGB Patrol Assessor. A toolkit is available for SLSGB patrol supervisors or individuals responsible for maintaining the standards of SLSGB patrolling for a given location. It allows the reader to understand the what, where, when and how of the assessment process for SLSGB Patrols and provides the forms and paperwork required to assess an SLSGB patrol on designated Assessment dates.
Click here for the inspection toolkit pdf
SLSGB Patrol Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)
SLSGB Patrol Standard Operating Procedures are intended for use in SLSGB patrols,
by those with experience of life Saving and patrolling. They aim to provide a basis for Local Operating Procedures to be developed for the specific area/patrol
location. They are not intended as a standalone document and are not intended for Non-SLSGB members or those without understanding and experience of patrolling beaches. Please note that Local Operating Procedures are established by each SLSC to allow for local variations in patrol delivery within the Standard operating procedures that follow.
Click here for a short sample of the SLSGB SOP pdf Contact SLSGB for the full document.
SLSGB Patrol Uniform
The SLSGB approved appearance for patrolling meets Internationally Life Saving requirements. aproved by the SLSGB life Saving commission, is the officila wear of 'on duty' lifeguards. Identity is importnat. This is because our volunteer beach lifeguards may be the first point of call for members of the public on the beach and in the sea. Surf Life Saving GB has developed a clear and strong look with space for it's clubs to add thier own logo to enhance this. The approved appearance also allows for identity of each centres own name or logo.
Any club wishing to use thier own volunteer patrol kit under the banner of an SLSGB patrol, should do so with the express written permission of surf life saving GB.
Click here for the SLSGB Patrol Uniform Leaflet. Contact SLSGB to order approved Patrol uniform.
Accident/Incident Investigation & Reporting Procedures
This Surf Life Saving GB accident reporting policy is suitable for adoption by affiliated clubs. To download this document please click here. The purpose of this document is to give guidance on how to:
a) report accidents/incidents
b) carry out an accident/incident or near miss investigation
Post Incident support Leaflet
Incidents on the beach may require additional support for both the public and patrol members involved, here is a leaflet that aims to guide patrolling clubs through a support process.
Please click here to access the Post Incident Support leaflet.
Safety on European Beaches
The ILSE has produced a document for Operational Guidelines for safety on European Beaches.
To read this document, please click here.
Activity Return Forms
To download and complete your activity return for 2010 please click here. Activity Returns are used to create national statistics which in return will generate better profiling and income for your club and SLSGB together. Details of outstanding volunteer contribution, rescues and incidents will also be put forward for the annual Heroes of the Surf Dinner. Please ensure all forms are returned to SLSGB by 11th March 2011.
Out of hours Swimming
SLSGB would like to deliver the following safety messages:
• Don't go in the sea alone - always have someone to swim with you.
• Never go in the sea if you have been drinking alcohol, it impairs your ability and reduces your body temperature. Partying and swimming do not mix!
• Beware of surf beaches. They look like fun, but very often have strong currents and rips. The biggest mistake made by out of hours swimmers is that they go in the sea that is flattest, and without surf. This actually is where the rips are.
• Ask a local person or a Surf Life Saver where the safest part of the sea is to swim.
• Be aware of the tides and do not get cut off on rocks.
Get Involved
Beach Patrol is a fantastic way for club members to get a real taste of professional lifeguarding. You can beach patrol from 14 years old and we have a qualification called the 'Beach Lifeguard Support' Award which is about the rescue assistance required to help save a life. It is an award that any parent or member can take, so you can be part of the beach safety team provided by your local Surf Life Saving Club.