Clubs recognised for safety standards

FAIRHAVEN Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC) and Anglesea SLSC has been recognised by Life Saving Victoria (LSV) for their exemplary lifesaving standards.

LSV’s Patrol Service Efficiency and Standards Program (PSESP), has patrol inspectors will visit clubs at unspecified times to evaluate how well clubs are meeting criteria.

The inspectors score clubs on a broad range of criteria, ranging from the clubs’ use of appropriate signage and equipment, through to the rescue skills of the lifesavers on patrol.

The evaluation can include theory questions for lifesavers on duty and mock rescues.

At the end of a season, LSV gives awards to the top three clubs in the state.

Fairhaven SLSC came equal second with Venus Bay SLSC.

Fairhaven SLSC was also recently a finalist for LSV’s 2020 Awards of Excellence. Club president Darren West said at the time he believed the club’s improved beach safety had been a factor in this.

“We’ve made some changes to our patrol roster to ensure we’ve got the best-qualified patrol on every weekend that we possibly can.”

LSV also gives awards for the best and most improved clubs in their respective areas (The clubs in the top three are ineligible for these awards).

Anglesea claimed both these categories for the Surf Coast region.

Anglesea SLSC Rescue Services director Elise Langford said the club’s success had come from an all-encompassing approach to patrols.

“For us, it’s about bringing everyone who is on patrol on the journey, so when we get inspections everyone who is on patrol is doing the right thing and meeting standards,” Ms Langford said.

“Internally at the club, we’ve been trying to put an emphasis on bringing the younger people across over the past three years, including a lot of scenario training for them when we have the opportunity to do so.”

This evaluation generally occurs twice a season, although COVID-19 limited inspectors to one visit for the 2019/20 season.

Ms Langford said the recognition was encouraging.

“At the end of the day our job is about trying to create that safe environment, so it reinforces to us that we’re doing the right thing.”