OCEAN LIFEGUARD CANDIDATE/TEMPORARY

Position/Program Information

FIRE DEPARTMENT

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT

We welcome applications from anyone.

FILING PERIOD

We will be accepting online applications from Monday, June 9, 2025, at 12:30 p.m. (PT) until Friday, August 15, 2025, before 5:00 p.m. (PT)

FILING WILL BE SUSPENDED AFTER THE FIRST 1,000 APPLICATIONS ARE RECEIVED, OR BY AUGUST 15, 2025, BEFORE 5:00 P.M. (PT), WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST. APPLICATIONS RECEIVED AFTER THE FIRST 1,000 WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

EXAM NUMBER

32922X

Why work for us?
With more than 10 million residents, Los Angeles County is the most populous county in the nation! As the largest employer in Southern California, over 116,000 employees in more than 38 Departments we provide vital public services as diverse as law enforcement, property assessment, public health protection, water conservation, cultural activities and many more.

We are dedicated professionals committed to preserving the dignity and integrity of the workplace as well as protecting the rights of each employee. The Los Angeles County Fire Department's lifeguards have a long-standing tradition of being one of the top ocean lifeguarding agencies in the world. We are looking for qualified individuals with a strong aquatic background (swimming, surfing, and more) to continue this tradition and be part of a diverse team of lifesavers and everyday role models!
DEFINITION :
Participates in an intensive training program in advanced ocean lifeguarding and emergency medical treatment.

CLASSIFICATION STANDARDS :
Positions allocable to this class are found within the Fire Department, Lifeguard Division. Candidates participate, under the supervision of the training officer, in an advanced ocean lifeguard training program involving both field and classroom instruction prior to appointment as an Ocean Lifeguard. They must have the mental ability to assimilate classroom instructions and the physical skill, stamina, and coordination to become proficient in all ocean lifeguard rescue techniques.

Essential Job Functions

• Under close supervision, participates in an ocean lifeguarding training course.
• Through classroom and field training, learns proper lifesaving techniques and procedures for ocean surveillance, victim recognition, surf entry, surf rescue, and beach ordinance enforcement.
• Receives instruction and participates in field training to learn proper procedures and acquire proficiency in the rescue or evacuation of persons endangered by hazardous ocean or beach conditions and in the provision of emergency medical care.
• Receives instruction in the identification of, and human behavior related to, ocean conditions such as rip currents, irregular ocean bottom conditions, lateral currents, and wave actions and their effects.
• Receives instruction in enforcement of beach ordinances.
• Receives instruction and learns the proper care and safe operation of lifeguard four-wheel-drive beach vehicles.
• Receives instruction and prepares for First Aid Standards for Public Safety Personnel certification.
• Engages in physical fitness training drills established by the Department.
  

Requirements

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS :
A valid California Class C Driver License is required to perform job-related essential functions.

LICENSE INFORMATION :
Successful candidates offered these positions will be required to show proof of a valid California driver license before appointment and present a copy of their driving record from the California State Department of Motor Vehicles before final appointment. Those who do not have a valid California driver license will be required to obtain one by the time of appointment. Applicants should not present a copy of their driving history until asked to do so by the hiring department. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether an applicant's driving history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job. License must not be currently suspended, restricted, or revoked.

If the applicant does not have a driving record from the State of California, the applicant may be required to provide their driving record from any other state/jurisdiction.

We do not accept password-protected documents. Ensure documents are unlocked before attaching to your application or sending to the exam analyst.


PHYSICAL CLASS :
Physical Class IV - Arduous: This class involves frequent heavy lifting over 25 pounds, often combined with bending, twisting, or working above ground on irregular surfaces. It includes those positions that occasionally demand extraordinary physical activity such as those in Safety positions.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS :

Ability :
Candidates assigned to this class must have the ability to swim 1000 meters.

Age :
At least 18 years of age by the commencement date of the Los Angeles County Lifeguard Training Academy Orientation.

Vision :
At least 20/30 in each eye without correction.

Hearing :
There may be no greater than a 25 dB loss in the better ear as averaged over the test frequencies of 500, 1000, 2000, and 3000 Hz. There may not be a peak loss at any of the test frequencies greater than:
30 dB at 500 Hz
30 dB at 1000 Hz
40 dB at 2000 Hz
40 dB at 3000 Hz

There may be no greater than a 35 dB loss in the worse ear as averaged over the test frequencies, and no peak loss greater than 45 dB at any of the test frequencies. In the case of a questionable, unusual, or borderline hearing loss, the applicant's record will be reviewed by the Occupational Health Service consultant in otolaryngology who will make a recommendation as to the applicant's employability and forward it to the Medical Director for final disposition.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE :
Applicants will be required to complete a supplemental job willingness questionnaire at the time of filing. Applicants who do not agree to the work conditions and/or do not meet the minimum requirements will have to wait twelve (12) months from the date of the disqualification in order to re-apply.

Additional Information

EXAMINATION CONTENT :
This examination will consist of two (2) parts:

Part I: A performance test, weighted 70%, assessing Swimming, Running, Stamina, Dynamic/Explosive Strength, Gross Body Equilibrium/Coordination, General Psychomotor Abilities, General Sensory Abilities, Hearing Sensitivity, Environmental Exposure Tolerance, Safety Focus, and Stress Tolerance.

The performance test is scheduled to be conducted on Saturday, October 11, 2025.

NOTE: For the integrity of the exam, video recording will occur during the timed swim course.

Part II: Multiple choice and/or simulation assessment(s), weighted 30%, assessing Reading Comprehension, Achievement, Responsibility, Safety Orientation, and Teamwork.

MULTIPLE CHOICE AND/OR SIMULATION ASSESSMENT(S) ARE NOT REVIEWABLE BY CANDIDATES PER CIVIL SERVICE RULE 7.19.

CANDIDATES MUST MEET THE REQUIREMENTS AND ACHIEVE A PASSING SCORE OF 70% OR HIGHER ON EACH WEIGHTED PART OF THE EXAMINATION IN ORDER TO BE PLACED ON THE ELIGIBLE LIST.

TRANSFER OF TEST COMPONENTS :
If you have taken identical components recently for other exams, the test responses may be automatically transferred to this examination. This exam contains test components that might be used on future exams, and your responses could be transferred to that exam.

TEST PREPARATION :
We provide study guides and other test preparation resources to help candidates prepare for employment tests. While the guides may help in preparing for the test, we recommend reviewing all related materials that seem necessary.

• Online practice tests are available at https://www.shldirect.com/en-us/practice-tests
• Various information can be found on our website at https://hr.lacounty.gov/job-search-toolkit/ . The section dedicated to test preparation is “Employment Test Assistance.”

EMAIL NOTIFICATIONS :
We will send notifications to the email address provided on the application, so it is important that you provide a valid email address. If you choose to unsubscribe or opt out from receiving our emails, it is possible to view notices by logging into governmentjobs.com and checking the profile inbox. It is every applicant’s responsibility to take steps to view correspondence, and we will not consider claims of missing notices to be a valid reason for re-scheduling an exam part. Register the below domains as approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk mail.

• JBento@hr.lacounty.gov
• Cindy.Delgado@fire.lacounty.gov
• Fire-Examination@fire.lacounty.gov
• Fire-OceanLifeguardCandidate@fire.lacounty.gov
• info@governmentjobs.com
• noreply@governmentjobs.com
• talentcentral@shl.com
•Domain: @fire.lacounty.gov
•Domain: @hr.lacounty.gov

New email addresses need to be verified. This only needs to be done once per email address and can be done at any time by logging in to governmentjobs.com and following the prompts. This is to enhance the security of the online application and to prevent incorrectly entered email addresses.

Test scores cannot be given over the phone.

OCEAN SWIM AND RUN TEST PREPARATION INFORMATION :
As part of the examination process (Part I: Performance Test), applicants will be required to complete a 1000 meter Ocean Swim and a 200 meter run in the sand/400 meter Ocean Swim/200 meter run in the sand.

Options of locations to practice swimming:
Los Angeles Pool Directory

ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION :
The names of candidates receiving a passing score in the examination will be placed on the eligible list in the order of their score group for a period of twelve (12) months following the date of promulgation. No person may compete in this exam more than once in a twelve (12) month period.

PASSING THIS EXAMINATION AND BEING PLACED ON THE ELIGIBLE LIST DOES NOT GUARANTEE AN OFFER OF EMPLOYMENT.

VETERAN'S CREDIT:
If you are a veteran, you may be eligible for veteran's credit, which is an additional 10% of the total points added to a passing score. We will need a copy of your form DD214 to review, so please include that with your application or email to the exam analyst at Fire-OceanLifeguardCandidate@fire.lacounty.gov as soon as possible. If you are eligible for veteran's credit, we can include it before promulgating the list of eligible candidates.

VACANCY INFORMATION :
The eligible list resulting from this examination will be used to fill temporary Ocean Lifeguard Candidate vacancies within the Lifeguard Division of the County of Los Angeles Fire Department, as they occur.

The Los Angeles County Lifeguards work at the following locations:

• NORTHERN SECTION: Nicholas, Zuma, Point Dume, Dan Blocker, and Malibu.
• CENTRAL SECTION: Las Tunas, Topanga, Will Rogers, Santa Monica, Venice, and Marina Del Rey.
• SOUTHERN SECTION: Playa Del Rey, El Segundo, Manhattan, Hermosa, Redondo, Torrance, and Cabrillo.
• CATALINA ISLAND: Avalon and Isthmus.

AVAILABLE SHIFT :
Any Shift - Appointees must be willing to work any shift, including evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays.

TRAINING ACADEMY INFORMATION :
THE LIFEGUARD TRAINING ACADEMY MAY BE CANCELED AT ANYTIME DUE TO LACK OF FUNDING.

TRAINEES MUST SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THE FULL ONE (1) DAY ORIENTATION AND TRAINING ACADEMY TO MEET THE UNITED STATES LIFEGUARD ASSOCIATION ADVANCED AGENCY CERTIFICATION. SUCCESSFUL TRAINEES MAY BE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE AN INTERNSHIP OF UP TO 40 HOURS.

DURING THE ACADEMY, EACH TRAINEE WILL BE INSTRUCTED IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS:

• First Aid
• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
• General Lifeguarding
• Resuscitator Use
• Physical Performance Drills
• Rescue Board Use
• Specialized Surf Rescues
• Rescue Boat Use
• Skin Diving
• Automatic External Defibrillator Use

SPECIAL INFORMATION:
Candidates who successfully complete the Lifeguard Training Academy will be required to provide a copy of a high school diploma, its equivalent, or a higher degree from an accredited college or university and must be met prior to appointment to Ocean Lifeguard.

APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION :
We only accept applications filed online. Applications submitted by U.S. mail, fax, or in person are not accepted. Apply online by clicking on the “Apply” green button at the top right of this posting. This website can also be used to get application status updates. Filing will be closed after the first 1,000 applications are received, or by Friday, August 15, 2025, before 5:00 p.m. (PT), whichever occurs first. Applications received after the first 1,000 will not be considered.

Please fill out the application completely. Provide relevant job experience including employer’s name and address, job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week, and description of work performed.

We may verify information included in the application at any point during the examination and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made. Falsification of information could result in refusal of application or rescission of appointment. Copying verbiage from the Requirements or class specification as your work experience will not be sufficient to demonstrate meeting the requirements. Doing so may result in an incomplete application and may lead to disqualification. APPLICATIONS MAY BE REJECTED AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS.

NOTE : The acceptance of your application depends on whether you have clearly shown that you meet the Minimum Requirements. Please check the application to ensure that your documents are uploaded by signing into your profile and reviewing the submitted application. Applicants must submit all required documents to be considered (official diplomas, official transcripts, license, certificates, etc.) at the time of filing (preferred), or you may e-mail documents within fifteen (15) calendar days of application submission to Fire-OceanLifeguardCandidate@fire.lacounty.gov . All documents must be clear and legible. Although resumes may be uploaded as attachments, resumes cannot be accepted in lieu of completing the online application. All emails must clearly identify the applicant's name, and the subject line must include the exam name Ocean Lifeguard Candidate/Temporary and exam number 32922X. Failure to provide the documentation will result in application rejection.

BACKGROUND CHECK AND MEDICAL EXAMINATION INFORMATION :
Candidates who are extended a conditional offer of employment will be required to complete a criminal background check, including a fingerprint scan, followed by a medical examination. A candidate with a conviction history which has a direct and adverse relationship with the duties of the OCEAN LIFEGUARD CANDIDATE/TEMPORARY position may have their conditional offer of employment rescinded and be removed from the certification list pursuant to Civil Service Rule 6.04.

Successful completion of a medical examination is required, along with the ability to perform all of the essential functions of the OCEAN LIFEGUARD CANDIDATE/TEMPORARY classification. A candidate who does not successfully complete a medical examination or is unable to perform all of the essential functions of the OCEAN LIFEGUARD CANDIDATE/TEMPORARY classification may have their conditional offer of employment rescinded and be removed from the certification list pursuant to Civil Service Rule 6.04.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER :
Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Numbers, so include yours when applying.

COMPUTER AND INTERNET ACCESS AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES :
For applicants who may not have regular access to a computer or the internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County. Refer to their website for more information: http://lacountylibrary.org

NO SHARING OF USER ID, EMAIL AND PASSWORD :
All applicants must file their application using their own user ID and password. Using a family member or friend's user ID and password may erase a candidate's original application record.

ANTI-RACISM, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION (ARDI) :
The County of Los Angeles recognizes and affirms that all people are created equal and are entitled to all rights afforded by the Constitution of the United States. We are committed to promoting Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to address the inequalities and disparities amongst race. We support the ARDI Strategic Plan and its goals by improving equality, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment, selection, and employment practices.

TESTING ACCOMMODATION :
If you require an accommodation to fairly compete in any part of the assessment process, you will be given the opportunity to make a request when completing your application. Please note, you may be required to submit documentation from a qualified medical provider or other qualified professional to support your request for a testing accommodation.

Department Contact Name: Fire Examination Section
Department Contact Phone: (213) 466-5500
Department Contact Email: Fire-OceanLifeguardCandidate@fire.lacounty.gov
Teletype Phone: (800) 735-2929
Alternate Teletype Phone: (800) 897-0077
California Relay Services Phone: (800) 735-2922

For detailed information, please click here

Closing Date/Time: 8/15/2025 5:00 PM Pacific

• 

• Los Angeles County

• (800) 970-5478

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