The South Walton Fire District’s Junior Lifeguard Program returns for Summer 2025 with nearly 200 young participants diving into the skills, training, and beach safety knowledge it takes to work as a surf rescue professional along the Emerald Coast.

Media Day will be held Thursday, June 12, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Ed Walline Beach Access. All media outlets are invited to attend for interview opportunities and footage of the program in action. Please note, the event is weather-dependent.

The program officially launched on Tuesday, June 10, with a dual-curriculum model designed for both first-time participants and returning Juniors. The result is a fun, skill-building environment built to educate, empower, and inspire.

“The two curriculums are already paying dividends for both the community and our program,” said Brandon Brown, SWFD Junior Lifeguard Program Coordinator. “The Foundations sessions give new Juniors the opportunity to learn core lifeguarding skills and walk away better educated about beach safety. Our Advanced sessions take those lessons to the next level, creating a pipeline for Juniors to become professional lifeguards with us once they turn 17.”

Throughout June and July, SWFD Beach Safety staff will train four separate groups of Junior Lifeguards. Participants will develop key surf rescue skills, including open water swimming, CPR and first aid, water rescues, rip current identification, drowning prevention, and beach flag system awareness.

“Juniors fits the mold on why we matter for this community,” said David Vaughan, SWFD Beach Safety Director. “It shows how far we’ve come in building longevity through 20 seasons of operations. We’ve experienced tremendous growth this year adding new towers—now it’s time for the Juniors to bring the energy and make 2025 even more worth celebrating. We know they’re hungry to be back out there, and we can’t wait to see them.”

Founded in 2008, the Junior Lifeguard Program has grown into one of the region’s premier beach safety education initiatives, reaching hundreds of local youth aged 9 to 16 every summer.

For media inquiries or to RSVP, please contact the SWFD Public Information Officer at 850-714-2189.