SCR192 - Open water lifeguards.

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 192 CHAPTER 202 Relative to open water lifeguards. [ Filed with Secretary of State August 24, 2026. ] LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SCR 192, Stern. Open water lifeguards. This measure would recognize open water lifeguards as first responders, in acknowledgment of their essential role in emergency response, public safety, and drowning prevention, as provided. Digest Key Fiscal Committee: NO Bill Text WHEREAS, California’s open water lifeguards, employed by various cities, counties, fire departments, harbor districts, park districts, the Department of Parks and Recreation, and others, serve and protect beaches and lakes across the state and conduct aquatic rescues, respond to medical emergencies and traffic collisions, execute tactical extrications, and more, all of which fall under the tenets of a first responder classification; and WHEREAS, The United States Lifesaving Association and the California Surf Lifesaving Association document that, based on statistics from 46 reporting California lifeguard agencies over the past 26 years from 2000 to 2025, inclusive, California’s open water lifeguards have protected more than 4,500,000,000 patrons and performed an astounding 96,022,795 preventative actions or mitigating incidents, and effected 1,400,585 rescues; and WHEREAS, Open water lifeguards are frequently the first responders on scene, in addition to operating in tandem alongside peace officers, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel, to protect life, secure scenes, and preserve public safety until additional responders arrive; and WHEREAS, The duties of open water lifeguards extend beyond aquatic rescue and include responding to emergencies on land, including cardiac arrests, traumatic injuries, and motor vehicle collisions occurring on or near beaches, parks, and public roadways; and WHEREAS, Open water lifeguards undergo rigorous and continuous training, including high-performance cardiopulmonary resuscitation, automated external defibrillator use, emergency medical response, advanced rescue techniques, rescue watercraft operations, and emergency scene management; and WHEREAS, Open water lifeguards respond to emergencies by attending to, treating, assisting, and transporting victims, which collectively satisfy the four defined duties of an emergency response employee under Section 300ff-133 of Title 42 of the United States Code; and WHEREAS, Open water lifeguards not only protect human life but also safeguard property, preserve evidence, and protect the environment, which together represent the four core tenets commonly used to define a first responder; and WHEREAS, In the performance of their duties, open water lifeguards routinely place themselves at significant risk to their own lives and physical safety in dynamic and hazardous ocean, surf, and shoreline environments; and WHEREAS, Lifeguards have given their lives in the line of duty protecting the public on California’s neighboring coastlines, including Newport Beach ocean lifeguard Ben Carlson, who died on July 6, 2014, while rescuing a distressed swimmer, a sacrifice memorialized by the Ben Carlson Memorial and Scholarship Foundation and honored by the lifesaving community statewide; and WHEREAS, In April 2026, the State of Hawaii adopted SR 54 and HR 42 recognizing open water lifeguards as first responders, with zero dissenting committee votes; and WHEREAS, The California Water Safety Coalition’s California Water Safety Strategy identifies lifeguards as a critical layer of protection in drowning prevention and establishes an explicit priority to create sustainable and adaptable systems for the lifeguard workforce in California; and WHEREAS, The Legislature recognizes the value of all California public agencies employing open water lifeguards, including, but not limited to, cities, counties, fire departments, harbor and port districts, park districts, and the Department of Parks and Recreation, formally recognizing open water lifeguards as first responders in their training frameworks, emergency planning documents, and mutual aid agreements, commensurate with the scope and gravity of the duties those lifeguards perform; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature of the State of California hereby formally recognizes professional open water lifeguards, including, but not limited to, ocean lifeguards, lake lifeguards, and all nonsworn open water lifeguard personnel employed by state, county, municipal, and district agencies throughout California, as first responders in acknowledgment of their essential role in emergency response, public safety, and drowning prevention; and be it further Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.