South Walton Fire District Junior Lifeguard Program Summer 2025

The South Walton Fire District Junior Lifeguard Program returns for Summer 2025 with approximately 200 participants ready to learn what it takes to work as a surf rescue professional along the Emerald Coast.

The program begins Tuesday, June 10, with a dual-curriculum approach, creating a fun and welcoming environment for both first-time and returning Juniors. More information and registration online at SWFD.org.

"The two curriculums are already paying dividends for both the community and our program," said SWFD Junior Lifeguard Program Coordinator Brandon Brown. "The Foundations sessions give new Juniors the opportunity to learn core lifeguarding skills and walk away better educated about beach safety. Our Advanced sessions take those lessons to the next level, creating a pipeline for Juniors to become professional lifeguards with us once they turn 17. We're finding this is a great formula for both public education and recruitment."

SWFD Beach Safety staff will train four total groups of Junior Lifeguards throughout June and July. Participants will spend their days at the beach honing the imperative skills of open water swimming, CPR and first aid, conducting water rescues, rip current identification, drowning prevention, beach warning flag comprehension, and more.

The Juniors program first began in 2008 thanks to buy-in from a small group of South Walton residents, but it has since developed into a premier beach safety education initiative, reaching hundreds of children aged 9 to 16-years-old every summer.

"Juniors fits the mold on why we matter for this community and shows how far we have come in creating longevity for ourselves in 20 seasons of operations," said SWFD Beach Safety Director David Vaughan. "We've experienced tremendous growth so far this year adding new towers, now it's time for the Juniors to bring the energy and make 2025 even more worth celebrating. We know they are hungry to be back out there, and we can't wait to see them."

Mission: The SWFD Beach Safety Division and SWFD Junior Lifeguard Program work to reduce the incidence of death and injury in the aquatic environment, promote the theory and practice of professional lifesaving, and develop a commitment to and culture of lifeguarding in the community through professional instruction of surf lifesaving skills and youth surf-sports in accordance with international lifesaving standards, public education, and the promotion of high levels of personal and professional responsibility for the health, safety, and welfare of the community.

Goals:

1. Reduce the incidence and prevalence of open-water related deaths and injuries along the Beaches of South Walton, Florida.

2. Promote a culture of lifeguarding safety along the Beaches of South Walton via public education and outreach.

3. Increase the number and quality of professional lifesavers in South Walton, Florida.

4. Increase the number and diversity of surf-sport and lifesaving opportunities available to South Walton youth.

5. Increase the capacities of its professional lifesaving organization to prevent injury and death where possible and to recognize, respond, and save where preventive activities fall short.

Vision: The SWFD envisions itself at the center of a regional culture of coastal awareness, born from the next generation of lifesavers, which prevents injury and the loss of life in the aquatic environment. JUNIOR LIFEGUARD LEARNING OBJECTIVES OUTLINED In accordance with the Mission, Goals, and Vision of the South Walton Fire District and the United States Lifesaving Association, the objective of this document is to establish and maintain progressive learning outcomes and skills evaluation standards for USLA Junior Lifeguard program participants, USLA Junior Lifeguard Program Aides, and USLA National Youth Team Competitors.

The learning outcomes and skills evaluation standards within each sector can be characterized by what the individual should be able to demonstrate after a reasonable learning period. These standards would be divided into two categories: Mandatory standards/guidelines leading to the issuance of a SWFD Junior Lifeguard Certificate of Program Completion.

This program is designed to bridge the learning gap between Junior Lifeguard program participants and the standards set forth in the USLA Open Water Manual used for the hiring of Professional Lifeguards. Non-Mandatory standards/guidelines set out in USLA Junior Lifeguard competition age groups. Each set of Leaning Outcomes and Skill Evaluations would progress in difficulty from the older age group, to the Younger age group. The aim of these non-mandatory Learning Outcomes and Skill Evaluation standards is to provide Junior Lifeguard Program participants with an environment where they can develop their surf lifesaving and leadership skills with like-minded peers.

This provides consistency for SWFD in the knowledge that Junior Lifeguard program is teaching its participants to USLA Standards.