Viral Santa Cruz water rescue video sparks renewed push to make lifeguards first responders – NBC 7 San Diego

Whether it’s in the water fighting furious waves, like the recent ocean rescue in Santa Cruz, or high flying heroics on Sunset Cliffs to save someone who has fallen off, lifeguards here in San Diego and across the state put their lives on the line, saving lives — and in spite of those dangers, they’re not designated by the state as first responders.

This now viral rescue video from Santa Cruz is renewing the push to make it happen.

State Sen. Catherine Blakespear from Encinitas, whose daughter is a lifeguard, is co-authoring Senate Concurrent Resolution 192. It would recognize open water lifeguards as first responders.

“It’s really about rights and protections and benefits, recognizing that they are first on scene, whether that’s on the sand or in the water, they are dealing with those life-threatening emergencies,” said Blakespear.

From June through the first weekend of August, there have been more than 4,100 water rescues along San Diego’s coastline and bays, according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

Despite those lifesaving efforts, and the fact that in the city of San Diego, lifeguards are part of the fire department — operating as first responders — they’re still not designated as first responders.

Connor Robbins is the Chief Steward of San Diego’s Lifeguard Union. He says the current designation means missing out on certain injury salary benefits and line of duty protections, when they’ve got to save lives in the ocean and in the toxic tides of the Tijuana River.

“All of these job duties expose us to various things that have been correlated to long-term cancers, to physical injuries, but things like PTSD,” said Robbins.

Lifeguards put their health and lives on the line to keep San Diego’s beaches safe, said Chris Brester, former San Diego Lifeguard Captain and Chair of the National Certification Committee of the United States Life Saving Association.

It’s very rare that there is a drowning, a fatal drowning at guarded beaches in San Diego,” said Brewster. “Those lifeguards are number one: going out and preventing things from happening, and number two: making the rescues.”

Hawaii and New Jersey just recently recognized lifeguards as first responders.

In addition to the California state resolution, there’s a push for a congressional resolution to recognize them as first responders, as well.