South Walton Fire District Junior Lifeguard Program

It's not just about staying safe in the water for our , they also learn lifesaving medical skills- like CPR, using tourniquets, and applying an AED- during the summer they spend with us.

Providing emergency medical care is a core skill of an open-water lifeguard. Lifeguards are often first on-scene to critical medical calls and directly contribute to patient outcomes. These kiddos embraced the responsibility and knowledge shared this week, soaking up all the information to know how to safely intervene as a bystander if they witness a medical emergency.

As we reflect back on this week, we wanted to share a few photos from the Medical Skills Day at Beach Safety Headquarters, plus the high-achieving group who brought home some hardware from Regionals. 🥇🏆

Special thank you to our Station 3 firefighters who provided ambulance tours and an overview of how our lifeguards and firefighters work together in the community every day. We also got an amazing visit from SWFD Therapy K9 Molly and District Chief John Adams, leader of our Peer Support Team.

We couldn't be more proud of our Juniors and can't wait to close out the program strong! More photos, videos, and fun to come. Wishing all of you a great weekend and thanks for the support! 🩵🩵🩵

IMPORTANT: 2026 USLA Southeast Regionals Reminder

South Walton Fire District Junior Lifeguards have the opportunity to compete in the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) Southeast Regional Championships on Monday, July 13, in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

The Regionals competition brings together Junior Lifeguards from across the Southeast to compete in surf lifesaving events, including swimming, running, board races, and beach flags.

If your Junior plans to compete, please email us at [email protected] as soon as possible so we can bring the appropriate equipment for your child.

Event information:
• Date: Monday, July 13, 2026
• Location: 101 E. Beach Blvd., Gulf Shores, AL 36542
• Check-in and onsite registration begin at 6:30 a.m.

Registration Fees:
• July 1–7: $10
• July 8–9: $15
• July 10–12: $20
• July 13 (onsite): $30

Before registering for the competition, your Junior must have an active USLA Gold Membership ($20)- see link below. When purchasing the membership, select the chapter "Emerald Coast, FL (ECLA)."

Please note:
• Parents are responsible for transportation, lodging, and supervision throughout the event.
• South Walton Fire District instructors will be on site to assist with registration, equipment, and coaching, but they will not be serving as chaperones. Parents need to remain on-site.
• All competition registration is completed online. We recommend creating your USLA account and login before race day- use the links below and let us know if you have questions.

USLA Gold Membership:
https://www.usla.org/general/register_member_type.asp

Regional Competition Registration:
https://www.usla.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=2036576&group=

We look forward to seeing our Junior Lifeguards represent South Walton Fire District at Regionals. Good luck to everyone competing, let's represent at the next level!