3.5 Personnel and Equipment Shortages

Purpose

To outline the immediate procedure to mitigate risk when a lifesaving service fails to meet the minimum standards as set in the Lifesaving Service Agreement/Contract.

Overview

In the event that a SLSC does not have the minimum number of qualified personnel or equipment to establish a patrol as required within their Lifesaving Service Agreement, it is vital that immediate action is taken to:

• Meet minimum personnel requirements to enable a patrol to be established,
• Rectify any equipment shortfalls,
• Mitigate/manage risk as best able in the interim, and
• Engage personnel and equipment (including signage) already on-site in surveillance, roving patrols, preventative actions and rescues even though minimum standards are not yet met to open a flagged patrol area.

The State Operations Centre (SOC) can assist in coordinating any resources to assist in the short term. Such assistance may include:

• Additional personnel from neighbouring lifesaving services,
• Coordinating support from neighbouring SLSCs,
• Increased Emergency Operations Group resources in the area; or
• Surf Club Emergency Response Teams being activated.

The Lifesaving Advisory Committee will be notified by the State Operations Centre as per the SOC Standard Operating Procedures.

Mitigation Strategies

Ideally service shortages as described above should be avoided through thorough planning and counter measures should only be required due to unforeseen circumstances, e.g. illness. Successful mitigation strategies include, but are not limited to:

1. Have a patrol roster finalised and communicated to members prior to season commencement,
2. Have reliable substitution processes in place and communicated to members,
3. Regularly remind members of those processes in an appropriate manner,
4. Remind relevant members and patrol teams of upcoming patrol shifts in a timely manner,
5. Utilise electronic means (e.g. patrol swaps in the Members Area) where possible,
6. Provide electronic links (e.g. to the Members Area) wherever opportunity presents, and
7. Utilise multiple communication channels, e.g. text messages and various social media where available, appropriate and useful.