LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE

PARAMEDIC LIFEGUARD OPERATIONS

BAYWATCH AVALON

BACKGROUND

Eight Catalina Baywatch paramedics provide coverage year round, with two paramedics on duty at each end of the Island at all times. Those two-man teams are composed of a senior man, the Baywatch Captain, and an Ocean Lifeguard paramedic. Each team works 24 hours, with the first team on shift from Sunday through Tuesday and the second team working Thursday to Saturday; Wednesdays are alternated between the two. During the day, the team works in the field, either at their office or on their rescue boat. At night, they return to their homes, responding via dispatch to 911 calls.

In Avalon, the paramedics work side-by-side with the Avalon Fire Department, which does not have its own paramedics. Baywatch Avalon also works with the Avalon Harbor Patrol, responding to water-based calls within the city’s jurisdiction.

Whether on land or sea, the Baywatch teams have several resources to use. On land, a fully-equipped four-wheel drive vehicle gets them, and their wide variety of life-saving equipment, where they need to go. On the water, both teams have a 32-foot rescue boat to rely on. That vessel, which is powered by two 300-horsepower Cummings diesel engines, can reach speeds of 30 knots and is well-equipped for saving lives as well as marine fire fighting. Both boats have hand-held hoses and fixed bow nozzles. Together the two nozzles can drench a fire with about 1,000 gallons of seawater per minute. The vessels are also equipped with de-watering pumps and other salvage equipment to help save a sinking boat. Baywatch crew members spend part of their time on duty maintaining those boats, duties include oil changes, trouble-shooting mechanical maladies, cleaning the bottoms and painting above the waterline.