9.7 Public Order Incidents and Disturbances
Patrol Area Closure and Evacuation
Public order incidents, disturbances, or violent behaviour may require emergency patrol area closure, evacuation of swimmers, or temporary suspension of supervised swimming operations. General patrol area closure and evacuation procedures are detailed within
SOP 9.1 – Emergency Patrol Area Closure and Evacuation
.
Purpose
To provide operational guidance for responding to public order incidents, disturbances, or violent behaviour occurring within or adjacent to patrol areas.
Overview
Public order incidents may present significant risks to members, beach users, and patrol operations. Member safety and preservation of life remain the priority during all incidents involving violence, aggressive behaviour, or civil disturbance.
Procedure
Incident Notification and Escalation
The State Operations Centre (SOC) must be notified as soon as reasonably practicable whenever a public order incident or disturbance occurs.
The SOC will coordinate notification to Police and other emergency services where required.
Where operationally appropriate, the SOC may notify adjacent patrols, services, Duty Officers, or operational personnel.
Additional resources should only respond where requested or approved through operational coordination arrangements.
Patrol Area Management
Patrol personnel should withdraw from areas affected by violence or significant public disorder where member safety cannot be maintained.
Where operationally required:
- Supervised swimming operations should be suspended and patrol flags removed,
- Patrol personnel should relocate to a safe location,
- Young or inexperienced members should be prioritised and protected,
- Essential communications, first aid, and emergency response equipment should be secured or removed where practicable, and
- The State Operations Centre (SOC) should be updated regarding operational impacts.
Where safe and operationally appropriate, rescue vessels may be utilised to maintain offshore observation or support operational response capability.
Interaction with Persons Involved
Members should avoid unnecessary interaction or confrontation with persons involved in disturbances.
Where safe to do so:
- Members should remove themselves from escalating situations,
- Patrol personnel should remain in groups where practicable,
- Operational awareness should be maintained,
- Observations should be recorded where relevant, and
- Relevant CCTV footage or operational information should be preserved where appropriate to support Police or emergency services investigations.
Rescues and Medical Incidents
Where a person involved in a disturbance requires rescue or medical assistance, standard rescue and first aid procedures should be followed provided member safety can be maintained.
Where operationally appropriate, consideration may be given to relocating patients to a safer extraction or treatment location.
Post Incident Actions
Following a public order incident:
- Operational logs and incident reports should be completed,
- Significant operational information and observations should be recorded,
- Relevant reporting and escalation processes should be completed,
- Member welfare considerations should be addressed, and
- Critical incident debriefing or peer support should be considered where appropriate.
References