Ocean Safety
Officers
-- Lifeguards

Important Employment Information:

        NO jobs are available in our force at this time.

        We will post recruitment information on the website if any openings occur.

Ralph S. Goto        
Administrator        

The success of ocean lifesaving, rescue, and related injury prevention initiatives in Hawai`i is primarily due to the "knowledge, expertise and courage" of the lifeguard force on the beach In Hawai`i ocean lifeguards are also officially referred to as Ocean Safety Officers.

Duties: In addition to other duties that may be assigned which relate to ocean and beach safety work, the Ocean Safety Officer performs the following duties:

• identifies hazards
• prevents injury, drownings
• makes ocean rescues
• administers "First Responder" emergency life support measures
• learns and enforces ordinances, rules and regulations governing beach activities and shore water usage
• renders first aid in cases of emergency

Officers at all times are expected to maintain a high standard of courtesy and professional relationship with the public and other divisional staff. As a key member of Oahu's public safety team - fire fighters, police and ambulance crews - ocean safety officers are involved in mutual aid activities and implementation of aspects of local disaster plans. They warn the public of dangerous and/or unsafe beach and ocean conditions (i.e., high surf, strong current, tsunamis and other National Weather Service and/or Civil Defense alert or warning signals).

Qualifications: The following are the necessary basic qualifications for a person to qualify as an Ocean Safety Officer, (there are five classes of "OSO" and the experience requirement is specific for each level):

Necessary Requirements

1. Must be 18 years old.
2. Has a valid Hawai`i State driver's license (Type 3 - Operator's).
3. Has a high school diploma or reponsible work experience which demonstrated the ability to perform the essential functions of the job may be substituted for education.
4. A current American Heart Association or American Red Cross Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Certificate.
5. One of the following: A current Red Cross Standard First Aid Multimedia, a current Standard First Aid and Personal Safety, or a current First Responder Certificate that meets U.S. Department of Transportation guidelines.
6. A current U.S. Lifesaving Association Ocean Lifeguard Certificate or a Red Cross Lifeguard Training Certificate.

Physical Performance Testing Requirements (Pass/Fail Examination - Must Pass to Qualify):

1. 1000 x1000 Yards - Run/Swim -- Under 25 Minutes
2. 500 Yards - Pool Swim - Under 10 Minutes
3. 400 Yards - Rescue Board Paddle -- Under 4 Minutes
4. 100x100x100 - Run/Swim/Run -- Under 3 Minutes

Officers must meet recertification requirements in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), emergency medical services First Responder, and ocean lifesaving - as well as physical performance testing annually.

Training: The Ocean Safety Officer participates in in-service training programs to maintain good physical condition, learn new first-aid and rescue methods and techniques, use new equipment such as personal watercraft, rescue boats, the all-terrain vehicle, and the automatic external defibrillator (AED).

Equipment: The Ocean Safety Officer may operate rescue boats, personal watercraft (i.e., "wave runners" or "jet skis"), emergency medical equipment- such as automatic external defibrillators, resucitators, radios, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), trucks and cars.

Working Conditions: Officers may be exposed to various weather conditions for prolonged periods; hazards when effecting a rescue; high surf and strong currents; the possibility of physical harm while monitoring beach regulations; and may have to perform duties unassisted.

For Additional Information, Please Contact:

Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services Division
3823 Leahi Avenue
Honolulu, Hawai`i 96815 USA
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Telephone: +1 (808) 922-3888
Facsimile: +1 (808) 922-0411

E-mail to: "Lifeguards" <lifeguards@aloha.com>

HERE ARE SOME
BASIC OCEAN SAFETY TIPS:

• Swim in Lifeguarded Areas
• Never Swim Alone
• Don't Dive Into Unknown Water or Into Shallow Breaking Waves
• Ask a Lifeguard About Beach and Surf Conditions Before Swimming
• If You Are Unable to Swim Out of a Strong Current, Signal for Help
• Rely on Your Swimming Ability Rather Than a Flotation Device
• Look For, Read and Obey All Beach Safety Signs and Symbols
• If In Doubt, Just Stay Out!

And, just when you thought it was safe to read on . . .

Click here for telephone numbers you can call to report a sighting of large aggressive sharks (more than eight feet long) in Hawai'i.

See several shark species safely, live, at Honolulu's Waikiki Aquarium!

The aquarium is also just a great place to visit to see and learn about Hawai`i and the Pacific Basin's ocean environment, indigenous marine organisms, reefs and coral, seals, and efforts to save and protect them.

Return to the Hale (Home) Aloha Page. You can also use the following links to continue your beach and ocean tour of Oahu's North Shore, South Shore, East Shore, or West Shore.

Or, you can go to the Beach Directory for a listing of all the beaches covered in these pages.

Suggestions, comments and recommendations are welcomed. These pages are a project of the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association, a not for profit, professional association of Hawai'i's lifeguards devoted to the advancement of lifesaving services and public education on beach and ocean safety.

Webmaster: This page is maintained by J. B. Lee. You can reach me by e-mail at: jblee@aloha.com. Last modified: 20-Jul-2005 02:19 PM HST

Source URI: http://www.aloha.com/~lifeguards/osofficers.html

Aloha . . . e malama i ke kai!