South Walton Fire District Junior Lifeguard Program

SAVE THE DATE! 6th Annual Emerald Coast Junior Lifeguard Competition 🌊

Now that our June session is officially done, make sure you stay connected with for even more fun to come!

🌊Saturday, July 25, we will host the 6th Annual Emerald Coast Junior Lifeguard Competition. ALL JUNIORS ARE WELCOME regardless of skill level.

🌊The events kick off at 7 a.m. at the Miramar Beach Regional Beach Access (near Pompano Joe's).

🌊There is no additional fee associated with competing, we just ask you to contribute your time and SWFD Team Spirit 😎🤙

🌊We will release an event schedule closer to the day of competition, but there is a little something for everyone, including running, swimming, paddling, rescue relays, and beach flags! Your Junior can participate in just one event, or all of them, whatever they want to do is great by us.

🌊Items to bring for competition day include: SWFD Juniors Rashguard and swimsuit, beach towel(s), sunscreen, goggles, hydrating fluids, snacks and/or lunch.

Parents/guardians are not required to stay and watch but we would certainly love for you to make it into a beach day for the whole family to enjoy, as our Juniors are proud to show off the skills they've learned this summer.

The competition is always fierce and we can't wait to see you there! Reach out to [email protected] if you have questions.

And just like that, we are saying goodbye to the June session of our 2026 South Walton Fire District Junior Lifeguard Program!

What an awesome month full of learning, confidence building, and growth for the next generation of surf rescue 💪

We could not be more proud of what these kiddos accomplished and how hard they worked through the past three weeks.

Parents: Thank you for trusting us and supporting our mission in making South Walton a safer place to live, work, and enjoy. At the end of the days, we hope each Junior Lifeguard leaves the program feeling like a true ambassador of beach safety in our community.

Stay tuned next week, when we hope to share more photos and videos from all the June action. SEA you soon 🌊🌊🌊

Have questions or feedback about the June program? Please email us at [email protected]. Stay safe!

Check out our awesome crushing medical skills in our 2026 June Program! 💪🌊

Every year, we dedicate at least one day of our Junior Lifeguard Program to covering medical skills, including CPR and Stop the Bleed training. This year, we held this training on Wednesday, June 10.

We have seen these skills come full circle through how our Juniors have intervened in real emergencies while out in the community. Every moment spent building confidence alongside our instructors pays dividends if they are ever in a situation to perform a lifesaving act. It can happen anywhere at any time, and knowing how to effectively respond as a "bystander" is a big piece of the overall outcome.

We are incredibly proud of them and how they handled such mature topics with precision and a great attitude. THIS is how we save lives and make our community a better, safer place to be!

South Walton Fire District

We truly couldn't have asked for more from Week 1 of the 2026 Program! Our showed up in full force and gave the first week their all.

Juniors in the Advanced session worked this week honing their rescue skills and taking part in workouts every day to improve their surf racing technique, speed, and confidence. Our afternoon participants in Foundations got their first looks at what it means to be a lifeguard with a multi-day introduction to beach safety, equipment, and how to conduct a rescue.

One of the best parts of the week for our instructors was watching the Juniors challenge themselves in red flag conditions by remaining confident and calm while navigating the surf. The waves made each day an opportunity for Juniors to build on their skills heading into Week 2, we can't wait to see you guys next week!

Enjoy the photos of these hardworking kiddos in action and have a safe weekend.

“We really push the life skills of taking care of your equipment, taking care of your teammates, preventing problems before they become problems, having situational awareness. And I’m really finding that these younger kids are actually taking those life lessons and running with it and really applying it to the fun side as well,” Brown said.

We had such a phenomenal first week. Sharing one more great local story from WMBB News 13 who also attended our media day this week.

Thank you for all of the support of 2026 ! Let's keep the positive momentum going and make the summer unforgettable. 🌊

Record enrollment for SWFD Junior Lifeguard Program WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – The next generation of beach safety leaders is hitting the sand in South Walton. More than 200 participants are enrolled in the South Walton Fire District’s…

“The most important thing to me is that they leave here with good character,” said Brown. “We talk to them a lot about integrity.”

Some juniors are there for the first time. Others, like Titus Hunt, have been doing the program for years.

“I don’t look at the beach the same anymore,” said Hunt. “I can spot a rip current. I can see if somebody is in trouble. I can tell what ways the tide is going, and what the lifeguards are doing.”

Thank you WJHG-TV for attending media day for our 2026 South Walton Fire District Junior Lifeguard Program!

We are so excited to see a record number of joining us this summer and learning lifesaving skills on the beach. Every year this program grows and it keeps getting better!

To all the parents and caregivers: Know we are grateful for the trust you place in us and we are motivated every day to make this as beneficial of an experience as we can.

Kids learn lifeguarding skills through South Walton Fire District’s 2026 junior lifeguard program South Walton Fire District junior lifeguard program teaches beach safety skills and life skills.

| The South Walton Fire District Junior Lifeguard Program returns this summer with more than 200 participants preparing to dive into a season of beach safety education, lifesaving skills, and hands-on surf rescue training along the Emerald Coast.

The program kicks off Tuesday, June 2, and once again features both Foundations and Advanced curriculum tracks, allowing first-time and returning Junior Lifeguards to learn at a pace tailored to their experience level.

“This program represents so much of what we strive to accomplish in beach safety like education, prevention, and community engagement,” SWFD Beach Safety Director David Vaughan said. “We’re witnessing the long-term impacts of this kind of program commitment in real-time, as we have a dozen former Junior Lifeguards on the beach working for us this season. It’s one of the best traditions we take part in each year and we’re ready to get it going.”

Throughout June and July, SWFD Beach Safety personnel will train four groups of Junior Lifeguards, ranging from 9 to 16-years-old. Participants will spend their days learning critical open-water safety skills, including CPR and first aid, rip current identification, drowning prevention, rescue techniques, beach warning flag awareness, and more.

Since launching in 2008, the program has introduced hundreds of local and visiting children to the skills, responsibilities, and teamwork required to stay safe in and around the water.

“It’s incredible to watch how the Juniors develop across the three weeks, not just in their skills but in their confidence and how they carry themselves,” SWFD Junior Lifeguard Program Coordinator Brandon Brown said. “This is a fun, challenging environment where they can learn those lifesaving skills, gain respect for the Gulf, and leave better prepared to keep themselves and others safe. The program’s impact is truly exponential, fueled by a core group of families who come back every summer and help spread the word for more children to get involved.”

Early registration numbers have already set a new program record, making 2026 the largest Junior Lifeguard season to date.

SWFD will release additional information and photos as the program gets underway. Media inquiries related to this release should be directed to the SWFD PIO via email at [email protected].

United States Lifesaving Association

We're celebrating another alum making the jump to SWFD Lifeguard, welcome to the beach Cooper Davis! 💪🌊🛟

Cooper is officially working as a seasonal lifeguard with us for the 2026 season, having already spent multiple days on the beach and staffing towers. This comes after his time in our South Walton Fire District Junior Lifeguard Program, dating as far back as 2021.

His journey to work with us started in Juniors, but he spent significant time and effort to pass our hiring academy, dedicate himself to surf rescue training, and now, can be found serving our community in a professional capacity!

Congratulations to the entire Davis family, we can't wait to see how much of an impact he makes on the beach this summer.

Any former Junior Lifeguards or hopeful lifeguard candidates who are at least 17 years old can apply NOW to work this season. Our next rookie lifeguard training academy will take place June 6-7, so please don't wait to apply!

Application link: http://www.tinyurl.com/SWFDBeachSafetyCareers

Hey fam! The time is finally here... our Juniors 2026 program kicks off on Tuesday, June 2.

We sent preliminary emails this week to those who are part of the June session- please check to be sure you received it and understand what session you are in. July session emails will be sent out at a later time.

Below is information about the June program for those who are participating in these first sessions. Once you have read the post in its entirety, you can email any questions to [email protected].

🌊Both the Advanced and Foundations programs will be held June 2-18 at Ed Walline Beach Access. The advanced program will be held 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, and the foundations program will be held 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday.

🌊This is not your average summer camp! We run the Junior Lifeguard Program to prepare future generations to become lifeguards themselves. We can adjust the program to all skill levels and/or inclement weather, but every Junior should expect to exercise, swim, run, paddle, and even do plenty of burpees just like our professional lifeguards do every day.

🌊Juniors should bring a refillable water bottle with them to class. We will provide plenty of cold water, but they need a bottle to refill. Other helpful items to pack inside a beach-friendly bag include sunscreen, a towel, and goggles (if they like to use goggles to swim). We will hand out rashguards on the first day.

🌊Plan to arrive approximately 10-15 minutes early for your session. This helps with traffic and ensuring you are not rushing through the parking lot, which can become crowded during the summer.

🌊Ensure Juniors are fueling properly with healthy and easy-to-digest meals before they arrive each day. The hot weather will quickly take its toll if Juniors have not consumed enough quality calories. It's a good idea to avoid any heavy dairy or greasy foods directly before the three-hour block begins, but we certainly endorse a cold and sweet treat after each day is complete. P.S. Save some for the instructors! 😜

🌊Any updates to the 2026 program will be posted to this page and/or communicated via email with the address we have on file. Please contact [email protected] with questions. We can't wait to see you next week, hope you are ready for a great summer!

Check out this former Junior who is officially on the beach! 💪🌊🛟

South Walton Fire District Junior Lifeguard Alum Steele Rodgers is now working as a professional lifeguard with SWFD. Steele took part in several summers ago and has just recently met the hiring requirements for 2026.

What’s even more incredible is his family connection to SWFD! Steele’s older brother Brett is one of our Full-Time Lifeguards, his mom is one of our Seasonal Lifeguards, and his dad works for us as a Fire Inspector. You may also know his younger sister, Josie, who is a current member of .

It’s safe to say that it is truly a family affair in the Rodgers household when it comes to protecting the South Walton community.

We can't wait to see what’s next for Steele. He’s an awesome athlete and sure to be a great addition on this beach this season.

Any former Junior Lifeguards or hopeful lifeguard candidates who are at least 17 years old can apply NOW to work this season. Follow the link below!

http://www.tinyurl.com/SWFDBeachSafetyCareers