3.3 Surf Club Patrol Requirements

Purpose

To outline the minimum patrol requirements, including placement of rescue equipment and SLS personnel for general operations.

Overview

SLS services must operate a patrol during the times outlined in their Lifesaving Service Agreement.

An outpost patrol must only be established in addition to a base patrol and cannot operate independently of a base patrol.

Patrol and Beach Status

Patrol Status and Beach Status are important metrics for the State Operations Centre (SOC) to understand available resources and to display patrolled location information to the public on Beachsafe.

Patrol Status describes the resources available:

• None – There is no patrol, but members are available e.g. Bronze Training
• Full Patrol – Meets the minimum Patrol Requirements for Full Patrol
• Standby Patrol – Meets the minimum requirements for Standby Patrol
• Partial Patrol – Does not meet the minimum requirements of the required patrol type
• Setup Patrol – Patrol in set up mode (option available in the Operations App when setting up)

Beach Status describes the state of the red and yellow flags (patrolled area):

• Open (Flags Displayed) – Swimming area open (flags displayed)
• Surveillance (No Flags Displayed) – Swimming area monitored but no flags displayed
• Closed (No Flags Displayed or Evacuation Flag Displayed) – Patrol area closed (red ‘danger’ flag or no swimming signs displayed)

Note: Inclement Patrol does not exist. A suitable combination of Patrol Status and Beach Status should be selected.

There can be any combination of Patrol Status and Beach Status. For example, during adverse weather conditions in January, a SLSC may meet the full patrol minimum requirements but flags are not displayed.

Examples

Conditions	Good Weather (October)	Poor Weather (October)	Good Weather (January)	Poor Weather (January)	Bronze Training (Morning)
Description	Weather conditions are good. There are 2 members on patrol.	Weather conditions are poor. There are 2 members on patrol.	Weather conditions are good. There are 10 members on patrol.	Weather conditions are poor. There are 10 members on patrol.	There are two Bronze Trainers on the beach running a course. They are watching the beach and available if there is an incident.
Patrol Status	Standby Patrol	Standby Patrol	Full Patrol	Full Patrol	No Patrol
Beach Status	Open (Flags Displayed)	Surveillance (No Flags)	Open (Flags Displayed)	Surveillance (No Flags)	Surveillance (No Flags)

Establishing a Patrol

A patrol must be established and meet all minimum requirements for personnel and equipment as stated below.

A Base Patrol may be supported by multiple outposts to effectively manage risks during beach operations as identified in the service’s Patrol Operations Manual.

SLS Personnel and Qualifications (Minimum)

All SLSC patrols must have on-duty, proficient personnel with the qualifications outlined in their Lifesaving Service Agreement.

One component to creating safe environments for children and protecting members and our SLS entities is the requirement of volunteers and staff to hold valid Working with Children Checks (WWCC) with some roles requiring a National Police Check (NPC) as well. These are referred to as PRESCRIBED POSITIONS. Refer to the SLSSA Member Protection and Child Safe Toolkit for Clubs for additional guidance.

Minimum Equipment

Lifesaving equipment must be complete, functional, available for immediate use (rescue ready) and in position at the scheduled patrol start time. It must remain rescue ready for the duration of the operational hours.

The following gear and equipment items must be deployed or available at a minimum for all SLS patrols.

Item	Full Patrol	Standby Patrol	Outpost Patrol	Mobile (Vehicle)	Roving (Foot)
Pair of red and yellow feathered patrol flags (base frame optional) (if there is a safe swimming area)	•	•
Pair of black and white quartered flags (surfcraft prohibited signage attached) (if required)	•	(if available)
Pair of “Rescue Craft Access Area” mobile signs (IRB/RWC operating zone) (recommended)	•	•
Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB), including 25HP outboard motor, fuel bladder and accessories (when available)	•	•
Level 50 SLSA approved Personal Flotation Device (PFD) (“lifejackets”) for IRB Driver and Crew (if IRB is operational or on standby)	•	•
Handheld radios in DMR waterproof bags as per the requirements of SOP 7.2 – Radio Equipment Specifications (number of radios will be relevant to size of patrol)	4	2	2	1	1
Side-by-Side (SSV) or alternative Vehicle (where applicable)	•	•
Patrol shelter or tent (including sufficient anchors/tie-downs) red & yellow branded	•	•
Pair of binoculars	•	•	•	•
Rescue boards	2	2	1	1
Rescue tubes	2	2	1	1
Defibrillator (AED)	•
Oxygen Resuscitation Kit	•
First Aid Kit (including Sharps Disposal Bin/Container)	•	•	1	•
Spinal board	•	•
Whistle (minimum one whistle, whistle per patroller recommended)	•	•		•	•
Pair swim fins	2	2		1
Loud hailer/PA system	•	•
Emergency Evacuation Alarm (loud hailer applicable)	•	•
Pair of Signal Flags (orange with blue stripe)	•	•
Emergency evacuation flag (red and white quartered)	•	•
First aid bum bag				•	•
Access to sunscreen (min. SPF 50+)	•	•		•
SLSSA managed iPad	•	•
Operations App for Patrol Log and Incident Log (Patrol Captain must have access)	•	•
Patrol Log and Incident Log books (contingency only)	•	•
IRB Log (Operations App) or IRB Log Book	•	•
Patrol Information Board	•	•
Standard Operating Procedures (online version)	•	•

Rescue call out gear is listed in SOP 12.4 – Surf Club Emergency Response Teams (ERT).

Patrol Uniform

• Uniform must meet the SLSA minimum standards as detailed within SLSA Policy 1.05 – Patrol Uniforms.
• The red and yellow quartered patrol cap must be worn on the head and secured under the chin when on patrol in the water (SLSA 1.05 Patrol Uniforms – Section 4e).
• When not in the water the red and yellow quartered patrol cap may be worn on the head and secured under the chin, or carried on their person (subject to the person wearing an approved SLS peaked cap or wide brimmed hat) (SLSA 1.05 Patrol Uniforms – Section 4f).
• Members wishing to wear a jacket on patrol are to wear an approved SLSA jacket.
• Consideration of wet weight should be assessed when selecting clothing items for use in an IRB. A rash shirt and/or wet suit is recommended, to be worn in conjunction with a compulsory PFD.

Equipment Placement

Equipment should be placed as follows:

• Patrol flags, tent, surround, and the minimum number of patrolling members defined in the LSA must be on the beach except during adverse weather conditions (advantage points such as higher lookout points should be established as a roving patrol type).
• Patrol flags must be placed no more than 15 metres from the water at any stage. Patrol Captains must reassess, and reposition if required, the patrol flags at regular intervals based on the conditions, such as tide.
• Rescue Tubes are to be placed at the water’s edge, on a stand if available. They should also be readily available at the lifesaving base.
• Rescue Tubes must also be carried on the SSV and by a patrol member when on roving patrols.
• Rescue Boards are to be placed on the water’s edge in board-stands, if available, in the most appropriate area and in the ‘rescue ready’ position.
• First Aid Kits, Oxygen Resuscitation Kit, Spinal Board, and the Defibrillator Kit are to be kept in the Patrol Area/SSV – easily accessible at all times (this should include splints and other accessories).
• Other equipment should be placed with consideration to local operational requirements. Tent should be positioned on the sand where possible, between the flags, unless the tent could blow away.
• Radios with Patrol Captain and IRB Driver when in operation.

Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB)

• If an IRB Driver and IRB Crew are available, the IRB should be positioned on the beach at the water’s edge in a rescue ready position that it can be launched & recovered quickly without posing a risk to beach visitors and/or lifesaving personnel.
• Rescue Craft Access Signs (2) should be erected either side of the IRB/RWC launching/retrieval area (recommended).
• Under standard conditions IRBs should be positioned on the sand with the stern facing the ocean. If necessary to position the IRB on the sand for a long period of time the trailer should be removed from the beach. Based on conditions, and in consultation with the IRB Driver, the Patrol Captain can elect to keep the IRB on the trailer (stern facing the ocean) near the water’s edge.

Member Placement

A minimum of two members must remain within the flagged area at all times, close to the Patrol Tent. There is no requirement for members to remain under the patrol tent provided that any person wishing to contact the patrol team can easily identify and reach the patrolling members nearby to the tent.

Typical SLS Equipment Layout for a Patrol

Adverse Weather Conditions

Definition: “Adverse weather conditions” refers to any type of weather that is unfavorable, challenging, or potentially harmful. This can include various forms of severe weather, such as heavy rain, strong winds, thunderstorms, extreme heat, or extreme cold, irrespective of the surf conditions. The term is often used in contexts where weather conditions could negatively impact activities, safety, or travel.

During adverse weather conditions, surf rescue equipment should reflect the patrol status with due consideration to the prevailing weather conditions (e.g., Boards not on beach during high winds) and if any patrons are still in the water.

Patrol Captains should make reasonable adjustments to the Patrol Status and Beach Status to ensure the welfare of the patrolling members, and such adjustments may be temporary in nature.

Procedure

In the event of adverse weather conditions, the Patrol Captain / Lifeguard Supervisor should:

• Conduct risk assessment using the SRR to ascertain if the Patrol Status and Beach Status should be changed,
• Ensure all equipment (including Patrol Flags) remains accessible and available for immediate use (rescue ready),
• Ensure the minimum personnel maintain an effective position to provide surveillance of the patrolling area and an emergency response if required (if adverse weather conditions continue for an extended period, the Patrol Captain must ensure that an effective rotation roster is in place for this duty),
• Update the Patrol Status and Beach Status on the Operations App, and
• Conduct ongoing risk assessments to confirm when a full patrol can be established.

Where an assessment has been conducted of the patrolling area and no beach patrons have been identified, all patrolling members may seek refuge in the SLSC. Flags must be removed if the water is not being observed.

Constant visual surveillance of primary and secondary patrolling areas must be maintained.

At any point during inclement weather, the public may choose to enter the flagged area. When this occurs, lifesavers must be in a position to provide immediate emergency response if it is safe to do so.

Where it is not safe to remain at the primary service area, the Patrol Captain must contact the State Operations Centre for advice.

Reference

• SLSA Policy 1.05 – Patrol Uniforms
• SLSSA Member Protection and Child Safe Toolkit for Clubs