Senate unanimously recognizes ocean lifeguards as first responders

The California State Senate on the floor adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution 192 recognizing open‑water lifeguards as first responders.

Senator Stern, the bill uthor, told colleagues that lifeguards have saved millions of beachgoers over decades and that recent dramatic rescues show the need for formal recognition. "These men and women are the backbone of our first-responder coastal workforce, and they ought to be recognized as such," Stern said during her remarks.

Senator Gonzales said her Long Beach lifeguards recently performed life‑saving work, noting Long Beach employs 27 full‑time and about 140 seasonal lifeguards. "This is even more important" with major events such as the Olympics approaching, she said. Senator Laird recounted a recent Santa Cruz rescue in which a young lifeguard pulled a nonresponsive 10‑year‑old from 10‑foot waves, saying the incident underlined the bill's purpose.

The resolution drew broad bipartisan praise on the floor, and the Senate approved SCR 192 by unanimous roll call (ayes 38, noes 0). The measure is a ceremonial recognition that acknowledges the lifesaving role of open‑water lifeguards and urges appropriate recognition and supports at state and local levels.

What happens next: SCR 192 is a concurrent resolution expressing the Senate's position and does not itself change statute. Its adoption signals legislative support for policies and local efforts to align lifeguard recognition, training, and resource planning with other first‑responder systems.