Lifeguard Operations at Redondo Beach. Los Angeles Almanac Photo.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department Lifeguard Division is responsible for providing lifeguard services for public beaches and coastal areas of Los Angeles County. The Department deploys 172 full-time and more than 567 seasonal lifeguards operating out of four sub-headquarters located in Hermosa, Marina Del Rey, Santa Monica, and Zuma Beach. From 24 lifeguard stations and 159 lifeguard towers, they watch over 72 miles of Southern California coastline and Santa Catalina Island, including 31 miles of public beaches. In addition to providing beach safety, Los Angeles County lifeguards provide rescue boat operations, underwater rescue and recovery, swift-water rescue, cliff rescue, marine mammal rescue and marine firefighting. They also provide paramedic and rescue boat services to Catalina Island, operating from Avalon and the Isthmus. Its eight full-time rescue boats operate from Baywatch Cabrillo (Los Angeles Harbor), Baywatch Catalina (Avalon and the Isthmus), Baywatch Malibu (Malibu Pier), Baywatch Del Rey (Marina Del Rey), and Baywatch Redondo (Redondo Beach King Harbor).
| Year | Ocean Rescues | Medical Calls | Boat Rescues (Distress) | Missing Persons | Resuscitations | Drownings | Beach Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 9,286 | 13,303 | 435 | 634 | 112 | 3 | 51,869,968 |
| 2020 | 9,666 | 15,134 | 523 | 685 | 92 | 3 | 62,963,309 |
| 2019 | 10,057 | 14,849 | 393 | 758 | 110 | 2 | 50,697,049 |
| 2018 | 11,242 | 15,646 | 423 | 1,046 | 155 | 4 | 56,045,125 |
| 2017 | 9,866 | 16,687 | 358 | 1,170 | 241 | 0 | 63,188,840 |
| Year | Ocean Rescues | Medical Calls | Boat Rescues (Distress) | Missing Persons | Resuscitations | Drownings | Beach Attendance |
| 2016 | 12,956 | 15,605 | 473 | 1,178 | 317 | 4 | 55,950,559 |
| 2015 | 15,917 | 18,610 | 434 | 1,756 | 468 | 5 | 72,556,890 |
| 2014 | 15,851 | 19,133 | 444 | 1,673 | 559 | 2 | 73,882,107 |
| 2013 | 9,745 | 16,437 | 382 | 1,280 | 612 | 3 | 71,367,580 |
| 2012 | 7,784 | 16,831 | 509 | 1,478 | 766 | 1 | 76,298,601 |
| Year | Ocean Rescues | Medical Calls | Boat Rescues (Distress) | Missing Persons | Resuscitations | Drownings | Beach Attendance |
| 2011 | 8,352 | 15,156 | 558 | 1,191 | 597 | 1 | 61,542,422 |
| 2010 | 7,029 | 15,625 | 559 | 954 | 614 | 1 | 57,070,425 |
| 2009 | 12,686 | 15,979 | 673 | 1,621 | 731 | 2 | 70,266,546 |
| 2008 | 12,282 | 14,578 | 688 | 1,401 | 536 | 1 | 59,636,340 |
| 2007 | 10,237 | 12,899 | 905 | 1,123 | 769 | 0 | 50,106,388 |
| Year | Ocean Rescues | Medical Calls | Boat Rescues (Distress) | Missing Persons | Resuscitations | Drownings | Beach Attendance |
| 2000 | 11,765 | 20,354 | 928 | 1,533 | 481 | 1 | 53,908,751 |
| 1995 | 5,824 | 6,464 | 963 | 1,547 | 524 | 4 | 41,725,117 |
| 1990 | 8,561 | 8,139 | 1,104 | 2,073 | 582 | 3 | 56,337,739 |
Source: Los Angeles County Fire Department Lifeguard Division
Life guards at Venice Beach, circa 1915-1920. Courtesy of the George Grantham Bain Collection & the Library of Congress.
Los Angeles County Fire's Lifeguard Division is the largest professional lifeguard operation in the world.
The television series Baywatch, debuted in 1989, was modeled after the Los Angeles County Fire Lifeguard Division.
Before July 1, 1994, the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors oversaw county lifeguard operations.
