8.10 Beach Attendance Monitoring

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8.10 Beach Attendance Monitoring

Purpose

To provide a consistent methodology for monitoring and recording beach attendance data to support operational planning, service delivery, and resource allocation.

Overview

Beach attendance monitoring supports evidence-based operational planning, service delivery, risk assessment, and resource allocation.

Consistent attendance data may also assist with funding applications, service reviews, and strategic planning activities.

Attendance data should be categorised into:

Persons in the water inside the flagged area,
Persons in the water outside the flagged area,
Persons on the beach within the patrol area, and
Watercraft and recreational craft operating within the patrol area.

Procedure

SLS services should utilise a consistent methodology when estimating and recording beach attendance figures.

Visual scanning techniques used for surveillance activities may also be utilised to estimate attendance within the patrol area.

Attendance monitoring is inherently estimate based; however, consistency in methodology improves the reliability and usefulness of collected data.

Attendance estimates should prioritise operational consistency over exact numerical accuracy.

Definitions

Attendance: The estimated number of persons and craft within the defined patrol area.
Patrol Area: The primary and secondary patrol areas, including areas extending up to approximately 200 metres either side of the flagged patrol area where applicable.

Reporting

Beach attendance data should be recorded:

At the start of patrol,
Mid patrol, and
At the end of patrol.

Attendance monitoring should include:

Persons in the water,
Persons on the beach, and
Watercraft operating within the patrol area.

Attendance data must be recorded within the Operations App in accordance with SOP 13.1 – Patrol Reporting.

Requirements relating to the use of the Operations App are detailed in SOP 12.6 – Operations App.

References

Public Safety and Aquatic Rescue training manual, 35th Edition, Module 5 – Rescue, Scanning

This document must not be displayed, including in a patrol room, or reproduced in any form, without permission from the Lifesaving Department, Surf Life Saving SA.

8.9 Marine Pollution and Environmental Contamination 8.11 Adverse Weather and Environmental Conditions (“Inclement Weather”)