The Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service (also NSLS) is a Canadian

lifeguard A lifeguard is a rescuer who supervises the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, and other water sports participants such as in a swimming pool, water park, beach, spa, river and lake. Lifeguards are trained in swimming and Cardiopulmonary ...

service operating in

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

.
Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service NSLS has been supervising many Nova Scotian beaches since 1973 and is a joint project between th
Nova Scotia Department of Health Promotion and Protection
and the Nova Scotia Branch of the

Royal Life Saving Society of Canada The Royal Life Saving Society Canada, commonly known as the Lifesaving Society or LSS, is a Canadian registered charity that works to prevent water-related injuries through various programs across Canada. The Lifesaving Society is an independent ...

(RLSSC

The NSLS employed 54 full-time lifeguards for the 2006 season, as well as several other part-time staff. Supervision seasons typically run from July 1 through to the last weekend in August, with a few beaches continuing weekend supervision into September. The NSLS developed the Nova Scotia Surf League, Canada's first surf lifesaving competition series, and has seen several Nova Scotians selected to the Core Team of the Canadian National Lifesaving Team since its inception. The service was born out of a 1972 study into a high number of drownings at public beaches in

. Originally called the Nova Scotia Beach Supervision Project, the beaches were organized by region, so that each region is required to recruit and hire

lifeguards A lifeguard is a rescuer who supervises the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, and other water sports participants such as in a swimming pool, water park, beach, spa, river and lake. Lifeguards are trained in swimming and Cardiopulmonary ...

for the beaches, thereby supplying lifeguard supervision. The program was centralized and began employing a full-time director in 1975, when it also changed its name to the Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service. In 2019, the NSLS supervised 23 beaches around the province and was responsible for training and administration services for several others.

Supervised beaches

* Aylesford Lake Beach ( Municipality of Kings County) * Bayfield Beach (

Municipality of the County of Antigonish The Municipality of the County of Antigonish is a county municipality in Nova Scotia, Canada. It provides local government to the eponymous historical county, except for the Town of Antigonish, and two reserves: Pomquet and Afton 23, and Summer ...

) * Bayswater Beach (

Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia Lunenburg County is a historical county and census division on the South Shore of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Major settlements include Bridgewater, Lunenburg, and Mahone Bay. History Named in honour of the British king who was als ...

) * Dollar Lake Beach (

Dollar Lake Provincial Park Dollar Lake Provincial Park is a seasonal provincial park located in the Musquodoboit Valley area of the Halifax Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia, Canada, in the community of Wyses Corner, 22 kilometres from the Halifax International Airpor ...

) * Dominion Beach (

Cape Breton Regional Municipality Cape Breton Regional Municipality (often referred to as simply "CBRM") is the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia's second largest municipality and the economic heart of Cape Breton Island. As of 2021 the municipa ...

) * Heather Beach ( Heather Beach Provincial Park) * Ingonish Beach (

) * Inverness Beach (

Municipality of the County of Inverness The Municipality of the County of Inverness is a county municipality on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. It provides local government to about 17,000 residents of the historical county of the same name, except for the incorporated town ...

) * Lake Ellenwood Beach ( Lake Ellenwood Provincial Park) * Lake Milo Beach (

Municipality of the District of Yarmouth Yarmouth, officially named the Municipality of the District of Yarmouth, is a district municipality in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia, Canada. Statistics Canada classifies the district municipality as a municipal district. The district municipali ...

) * Lawrencetown Beach ( Lawrencetown Beach Provincial Park) * Martinique Beach (

Halifax County, Nova Scotia Halifax County (, ) is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. History Deriving its name from George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax (1716–1771), Halifax County was established by order-in-council on August 17, 1759. The boundari ...

* Mavilette Beach (

Municipality of the District of Clare Clare, officially named the Municipality of the District of Clare, is a district municipality in south Nova Scotia, Canada. Statistics Canada classifies the district municipality as a municipal district. Geography The Municipality of the Distr ...

) * Melmerby Beach ( Melmerby Beach Provincial Park) * Mira Gut Beach (

) * Point Michaud Beach (

) * Pomquet Beach ( Pomquet Beach Provincial Park) * Port Hood Beach (

) * Port Maitland Beach ( Port Maitland Provincial Park) * Queensland Beach ( Queensland Beach Provincial Park) * Rainbow Haven Beach ( Rainbow Haven Provincial Park) * Rissers Beach ( Rissers Beach Provincial Park)

Training

Lifeguards employed with the NSLS must complete a physically rigorous selection process. All lifeguard applicants to NSLS must be certified with the RLSSC's National Lifeguard Service Award and also maintain certification in Standard

First Aid First aid is the first and immediate assistance given to any person with a medical emergency, with care provided to preserve life, prevent the condition from worsening, or to promote recovery until medical services arrive. First aid is gener ...

as well as

cardiopulmonary resuscitation Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure used during Cardiac arrest, cardiac or Respiratory arrest, respiratory arrest that involves chest compressions, often combined with artificial ventilation, to preserve brain function ...

(CPR) level C. Applicants are then tested with a timed 500-meter swim in surf conditions, followed by a timed 3.2 km run, and a timed 50-meter carry with a suitably weighted

mannequin A mannequin (sometimes spelled as manikin and also called a dummy, lay figure, or dress form) is a doll, often articulated, used by artists, tailors, dressmakers, window dressers and others, especially to display or fit clothing and show off dif ...

. The physical test is followed by a written test. Should an applicant be hired, s/he must successfully complete a four-day NSLS training camp with all new and returning lifeguards immediately prior to the start of the supervision season, during which there are further evaluations of skills based on performance during mock emergency scenarios. Should an applicant not meet the standard during the training camp, alternates who are successful will be selected in their place.

Nova Scotia Surf League

''Nova Scotia Surf League'' is a

competition operated by NSLS. Started in 2000, it is Canada's first

lifesaving Lifesaving is the act involving rescue, resuscitation and first aid. It often refers to water safety and aquatic rescue; however, it could include ice rescue, flood and river rescue, swimming pool rescue and other emergency medical servic ...

competition series. The format of the series was modeled after an Australian professional lifesaving circuit called the Nutri-Grain Surf League. It has aimed to focus on increasing the level of participation among in the sport of lifesaving among

lifeguards, mainly through providing regular access to competition. The league founder, Craig Durling, remains active today as the league's Commissioner. Prior to the existence of Surf League, Nova Scotians would often travel to competitions in Ontario, Quebec and the United States. At the conclusion of each summer, league awards are presented to the top teams and individuals who competed on the series. Career statistics are also maintained by the league for wins for men and women.

References

External links

Official Website of the Nova Scotia Lifeguard ServiceWebsite of the Nova Scotia branch of the Lifesaving Society
{{Lifesaving in Canada Surf lifesaving Organizations based in Nova Scotia Lifesaving organizations