In the Media

Media Enquires

For all NATIONAL media enquires relating to the Australian Lifeguard Service please contact:

Andre Slade
National Lifeguard Manager
Australian Lifeguard Service
Locked Bag 2 Bondi Beach
NSW 2026 Australia

admin@lifeguards.com.au

+61 2 9300 4083

For state based media enquires please see the relevant state service profile for contact details OR contact the National Lifeguard Manager for more information.

Recent Media

21/11/09

NewSurf Life Saving Rip Currents Campaign

Surf Life Saving will shortly launch a public education campaign to reduce the number of people who drown each year in rip currents.  Our primary message, ‘Swim Between the Red and Yellow Flags’, will be supplemented with a secondary message targeting high risk groups.  This secondary message, ‘To Escape the Rip Swim Parallel to the Beach,’ has been developed after extensive research, details of which will be released shortly.

Vale - Jacob Lollback

It with deep sadness that the ALS advises the passing of a fellow lifeguard and SLSA member, Jacob Lollback. He passed away yesterday, Tuesday 22nd September during a diving trip in northern Queensland. He was 20 years old.

A member of Yamba SLSC and more recently with Burleigh Heads and then Tugun SLSCs, Jacob worked with the Australian Lifeguard Service for the last four years, particularly on the Yamba beaches but also worked on the Tweed beaches in recent seasons.

Jacob was a brilliant lifeguard and we always had confidence in his skills and expertise when we placed him on the busy and dangerous beaches. While we remember his exceptional surf skills we recall his easy going nature and pleasant personality.

It really was a pleasure to work with him. We all admired him and we’re going to miss a great bloke and an outstanding lifeguard.

Our thoughts are with his family, particularly brothers Dan and Andrew who are still lifeguards with us.

Funeral arrangements have yet to be advised. A number of lifeguards have already indicated they wish to form a guard of honour, in lifeguard uniform – a great idea as we say goodbye to Jacob.

Further information: www.slsa.asn.au

05/07/2009 : NEWS RELEASE

Watch video

Kayla Laverty named Australian Lifeguard Service, NSW Lifeguard of the Year

A Ballina Shire lifeguard has been named the NSW Lifeguard of the Year.

Kayla Laverty, 21, a member of the Lennox Head-Alstonville club, received her honour at a function held on Saturday night in Ballina.

She has been an ALS lifeguard for the last four seasons and has worked on some tough beaches including Salt, Hastings Point and Pottsville in the Tweed Shire before being appointed the senior lifeguard this season at Lennox Head.

Kayla is well-known to the local community for her caring nature and she has appeared in many family albums and Facebook pages when local visitors all want to have their photo taken with the friendly lifeguard.

She is highly regarded by her peers in northern NSW and junior guards enjoy working with Kayla due to the outstanding mentoring and training she provides.

“Knowing that it is a treacherous stretch of coastline, Kayla works hard to ensure the optimal beach safety at Lennox Head,” said NSW Chief Lifeguard, Stephen Leahy.

“She is always quick to recognise someone in trouble and has performed some brilliant rescue work this season.”

Kayla has been a member of the Lennox Head Surf Life Saving Club for the past 11 years and lifesaving runs in the family. Her father, Mark, is the Club Captain of Lennox Head SLSC and her siblings, Matt and Justine, are patrolling members of Lennox and Matt is in his second year as an ALS lifeguard.

A number of other lifeguards were recognised for their outstanding efforts this summer. These were:

TWEED SHIRE
Lifeguard of the Year Katrina Wilkinson
Rookie Lifeguard of the Year Dylan Klein

BYRON SHIRE
Lifeguard of the Year Rob Hanley
Rookie Lifeguard o f the Year Stella Watson

BALLINA/RICHMOND VALLEY
Lifeguard of the Year Kayla Laverty
Rookie Lifeguard of the Year Ben Kirk

CLARENCE VALLEY
Lifeguard of the Year Mitch Cooper & Sam Little
Rookie Lifeguard of the Year Rebecca McPherson

BELLINGEN / NAMBUCCA
Lifeguard of the Year Melissa Bell
Rookie Lifeguard of the Year Magenta Hopper

The end-of-season function capped off a busy season for lifeguards. The Australian Lifeguard Service, in partnership with local councils, patrolled more than 40 beaches along the northern NSW coast during the warmer months, utilising more than 120 lifeguards.

The weather was a vast improvement on last year and beach and surf conditions were very good. Lifeguards reported big crowds with some beaches reporting that the number of beach-goers was at its highest level in many years.

354 people were rescued by lifeguards during the season and 52,767 people were warned about swimming or surfing in dangerous conditions. 2307 people were provided with emergency care treatment, many of these were for bluebottle stings and 39 lost people were reunited with loved ones. Mr Leahy also paid tribute to the lifeguards.

“It’s an absolute credit to the team who have provided an outstanding service to the community under some very trying conditions,” he said.

“I believe that we have some of the best lifeguards in the world based here in northern NSW. They have made sure the public remained safe under a wide variety of weather and surf conditions. Lifeguarding is more than just a job and their dedication has made sure our beaches have remained safe over the summer.

“Their efforts have upheld the true traditions of surf lifesaving in Australia of vigilance and service.” The Australian Lifeguard Service also recognised the community for remaining safe this summer. “We applaud the community for enjoying the beach safely over the last six weeks,” said Mr Leahy.

“Many people heeded the advice and warnings we issued over summer, especially during periods of dangerous surf. We are certainly impressed with the behaviour of visitors to the beaches.”

Further information: ALS NSW on 02 9984 7188

13/05/2009 : NEWS RELEASE

A safer coastline and less paperwork for surf life saving clubs will be just some of the outcomes of the Australian Government’s announcement of $4.4 million funding to implement a comprehensive national information and technology system.

Minister for Youth and Sport, Kate Ellis MP said the Government’s announcement will help communities around Australia enjoy safer beaches and support lifesavers and lifeguards who provide such an important service.

“Surf lifesavers and lifeguards protect the largest playground in Australia, with the beach being part of the Australian way of life for many families,” the Minister said,

“The new national system will enhance SLSA's ‘e capability’ enabling them to enhance communications across the organisation and critical information sharing with emergency services.

“Importantly, better co-ordinated data collection and streamlined administrative processes across the organisation will also free up volunteers to do what they do best – save people’s lives,” the Minister said.

Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) CEO, Brett Williamson OAM, called the Government’s announcement a transformative moment for the organisation.

“For more than 100 years our members have spent tens of millions of hours carrying out the necessary administrative duties to keep Australia’s beaches safe,” he said.

“Despite their incredible commitment and sacrifice, people still drown and get injured around the coastline in unacceptable numbers.

“This funding from the Australian Government will have a significant impact on water safety for all who use the Australian coastline, and I congratulate the Minister for her support of our vision.”

The new funding will:

• Provide a single source of information for data systems.
• Standardise improved business processes across all levels of the organisation.
• Move operations to an internet-based system which will provide real-time access to information and business operations anywhere, anytime.
• Provide cross-aquatic emergency management agency co-ordination and collaborative information sharing.
• Improve workflows and reduce workloads across all SLSA operational activities, thus optimising usage of funds and volunteer lifesaving resources.

“With the implementation of our strategy SLSA will be one of the most technologically advanced lifesaving organisations in the world,” Mr Williamson said.“Importantly, none of these new systems will increase data entry workload for our volunteers, or paid lifeguard services.”

Further information: SLSA on 02 9300 4000

13/02/2009 : NEWS RELEASE

Risk of shark attack unlikely

The Australian Lifeguard Service's parent organisation Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) has called for calm in the wake of recent shark attacks at Bondi Beach and Sydney Harbour, saying attacks are still unlikely if swimmers use common sense and follow some simple rules.

Barry Bruce, a senior research scientist with CSIRO Marine & Atmospheric Research in Hobart, and SLSA’s honorary shark advisor, said other forms of accidental death and injury,particularly drowning, are far more common for beach users.

“It is important to recognise that there is always some inherent risk when using an environment inhabited by sharks,” Mr Bruce said.

“The risk of shark-related incidents varies according to the time of day, time of year, the geographic location and species of shark in the area.”

In response to last night’s attack, the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter has increased surveillance patrols along Sydney beaches today.

Patrols by the Life Saver Rescue Helicopter throughout summer have been effective in monitoring shark activity and in the event of a sighting, assist in herding the creatures away from beaches and out to sea.

In order to minimise the risk of a shark attack, swimmers should:

• Always swim between the red and yellow patrol flags and surf at patrolled beaches. There is an increased chance that shark safety equipment is in place and rescue services are in close proximity should an incident occur.
• Obey the advice of surf lifesavers and lifeguards, heed all flags and notice board warnings. Leave the water immediately if a shark is sighted or if advised by the surf lifesavers/lifeguards (siren, bell or red and white quartered flags) that a shark has been sighted.
• Avoid entering the water after dusk, at night or before dawn when some sharks are typically more active.
• Avoid swimming in or near murky or silt-laden waters.
• Avoid swimming in or near river mouths, creeks, deep channels and canals
• Avoid swimming or surfing alone.
• Avoid swimming or surfing when bleeding.
• Avoid swimming or surfing near schools of fish.
• Avoid swimming near, or interfering with, shark control equipment.

“Much of this advice is common sense, and makes for a more pleasant beach experience anyway,” Mr Bruce said.

Mr Bruce said that despite the recent attacks, there was little evidence to suggest that either shark numbers or the average number of attacks were increasing in Australian waters.

For further information or to arrange interviews with Barry Bruce: Sean O’Connell Surf Life Saving Australia 0407 286 619

5/02/2009 : NEWS RELEASE

Volunteer surf lifesavers to protect Newcastle swimmers

Hunter region volunteer surf lifesavers will increase patrols to ensure that swimmers are safe, following today’s lightning strike by paid council lifeguards.

Craig Roberts, Manager Lifesaving Services for Surf Life Saving New South Wales said that an additional two RWCs (rescue water craft or ‘jetskis’) and two IRBs (inshore rescue boat or ‘rubber duckies’) will patrol Newcastle beaches over the coming days.

“A squad of volunteer surf lifesavers will also patrol on weekdays for the duration of the strike and will be in constant contact with the Australian Lifeguard Service operations on the north coast who are monitoring the various surveillance cameras,” he said.

The beaches affected by the strike are:

• Cook’s Hill
• Dixon
• Merewether
• Newcastle
• Nobby’s
• Stockton

With temperatures expected to reach 34°C today and as high as 39° on Sunday, Roberts advised all beachgoers to check the beach is patrolled before swimming and to read any safety signs displayed.

12/01/2009 : What is 13SURF?

NOTE: 13SURF IS NOT A PUBLIC HOTLINE - ALL PUBLIC EMERGENCY CALLS SHOULD BE MADE TO '000'

The single hotline number 13SURF, set up by Surf Life Saving New South Wales (SLSNSW), in February 2008 is drastically reducing emergency response times. Under the old system police communications rooms had to sort through hundreds of numbers of lifeguards and lifesavers, and was an outdated operation.

SLSNSW took a proactive approach to get one hotline number set up with the police, the SES and Telstra. Of 100 rescues in the system’s first year, 35 people lived who would have been killed or seriously injured.

Although this system was set up by the volunteer lifesaving system, it incorporates all lifeguard services, whether it’s the Australian Lifeguard Service or council lifeguard services. The duty officer has the most up-to-date list of contacts from lifesaving clubs and lifeguard services, support services and the rescue helicopter.

As with any system involving a large number of outside variables there are times when the system isn’t perfect. Often it can come down to the information given to the 000 operator by the member of the public. There have been times when the emergency response was activated to a scene only to find out the incident was in another location.

It’s not only NSW that have this type of surf emergency response system, most other states have something similar already in operation. The intention is to roll out the same number around the country with South Australia already on board and others close behind.

This system is a great example of how lifesavers and lifeguards can work together for a more coordinated approach to patrolling the coastline.

How does 13SURF work?

Under the new 24/7 call out system, the emergency call centre operators will only need to know one number when requesting the assistance of surf lifesaving and lifeguard services, 13SURF’ (137873). The rostered state duty officer will receive the call and then contact the relevant surf lifesaving and lifeguard operations to coordinate the rescue response. This system will allow the right personnel to be contacted in an efficient and timely manner every time.

Is ‘13SURF’ a public phone number?

No. The 13SURF number is for the emergency services to contact surf lifesaving and lifeguard operations. The public will not be advised of 13SURF and they will always be encouraged to call ‘000’.