Responsibilities
- Water rescue of swimmers, divers and surfers
- Coastal cliff rescue
- Boater rescue up to 3 miles off shore
- 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 out of 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 through citation, arrest and impound 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).
