Marine Safety Officer
CurrentAssigned to one of a number of specialized activities such as area Sergeant, radio monitor and dispatcher, and major rescue patrol. Exercises a thorough knowledge of Emergency Medical Technician, swimming and lifesaving techniques, beach ordinances and rules, ocean conditions such as tides, currents, ocean bottom conditions, seamanship, and wave actions and their effects. Requires physical strength, stamina, and swimming skills to execute rescues in rough ocean water conditions. Deploys lifeguards to sub-area of beach in appropriate locations according to crowd activity and hazards; requests additional guards and reassigns or releases according to existing conditions. Responds to observed major incidents in assigned sub-area such as multiple ocean rescues both on the surface as well as the sub-surface, kite/wind rescues, serious medical injuries or unruly crowds; notifies Captain of situation and directs or participates in initial corrective action. Issues citations and makes arrests as appropriate.Serves as crewmember of a rescue boat and operates the boat in harbors and open ocean to maintain position when boat operator goes aboard another vessel or onto docks. Acts as observer while on boat patrol, looking for things such as malfunctioning or out-of-position navigational aids, distressed boats, and dangerous debris in water. Responds in all weather or ocean conditions to incidents such as burning, capsized, and/or sinking boats; attaches towing lines, and swims to execute rescues. The rescue boat patrols an assigned ocean area and responds to observed incidents, or those monitored on the radio, such as tired swimmers, boating collisions, disabled boats, sinking or beached boats, boats on rocks, sick or injured persons at sea, diving accidents and ditched or crashed aircraft. Maneuvers the rescue boat in and out of surf line to assist shore-based lifeguards in effecting multiple rescues and into and through shallow, rocky waters to retrieve and tow beached boats.