Laguna Beach marine safety chief outlines staffing, training and rescue figures ahead of busy summer

Marine Safety Chief Kai Bond said Laguna Beach is preparing for what officials expect will be one of the busiest summers on record, with expanded training, coverage and community programs intended to reduce rescues.

Bond told Mayor Oil that the department runs intensive training for both its full‑time and seasonal staff, including a 100‑hour rookie academy with medical, written and physical components and recurrent rescue‑vessel and technical‑rescue drills. "We train our part‑time staff, but we spend a significant portion of our time training our full‑time staff," Bond said, noting the program covers everything from EMS responsibilities to rock‑rescue techniques.

The chief said the department has 17 full‑time employees and roughly 150 part‑time seasonal lifeguards; on a peak summer day the operation may field about 100 employees and maintain approximately 50 tower sites along Laguna Beach. Bond said the department expects to hire roughly 30–40 new seasonal lifeguards this year and uses the rookie academy ranking list to form hiring lists.

Bond described the return of a rescue vessel program called Wavewatch after the city received a donated vessel about two years ago. He said the boat and additional resources improved access to rocky coastal areas and reduced vehicle congestion in narrow streets by allowing responders to reach isolated sites quickly and carry advanced lifesaving equipment.

On prevention, Bond emphasized the value of education. "A rescue to me is a potentially a missed opportunity to educate somebody," he said, and added that the department reported a little over 12,000 rescues last year and roughly 500,000 preventive or educational contacts. He urged visitors to "check in with the lifeguard" and to "drop your phone, stop looking down at it, and be aware of your surroundings," especially near rocks and tide pools.

Bond also promoted two community programs: SALT (Surfers Awareness and Life‑saving Techniques), which teaches residents how to assist safely and call 911 when lifeguards are not present, and the junior lifeguard program for youth instruction in ocean skills and stewardship. He said certain locations such as Main Beach and Aliso Beach are staffed consistently and are recommended for visitors because of amenities and monitoring.

The chief said lifeguards coordinate closely with rangers, police and tidepool docent programs when enforcement is needed, but emphasized lifeguards’ primary role is prevention and rescue. Bond concluded that the department's goal is to reduce rescues through increased prevention and public education as the city prepares for a high‑demand summer.

The mayor thanked Bond for the briefing and encouraged residents and visitors to follow lifeguard guidance and enroll children in youth programs ahead of summer.