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Responsibilities
- Water rescue of swimmers, divers and surfers.
- Coastal cliff rescue.
- Boater rescue up to three miles offshore.
- Medical aid.
- All full time lifeguards and many hourly lifeguards are Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs).
- Hourly lifeguards are certified to a minimum of American Red Cross Emergency Response.
- Swiftwater and inland river rescue.
- Scuba rescue and underwater search and recovery.
- Dive Rescue Team members are certified as Advanced Scuba Divers and Dive Rescue Specialists.
- Marine firefighting.
- Lifeguards from the Boating Safety Unit are fully equipped and trained to operate the Lifeguard Service's two fire boats and to suppress fires.
- Law enforcement of beach regulations is done through citation, arrest and impounding of vessels.
- Most full-time lifeguards are classified as peace officers.
- All San Diego lifeguards are classified as public officers with the power of arrest.
- Harbor patrol functions on Mission Bay and boating enforcement on the Pacific Ocean.
- 24-hour staffing of the Lifeguard Communications Center.
- Includes dispatching incoming 9-1-1 calls, marine radio distress calls, fire and police referrals, etc.
- Maintains observation of boating traffic traveling in and out of Mission Bay.
- California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS).
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