SWFD gears up for biggest Junior Lifeguard season yet
South Walton Fire District is kicking off its 2026 Junior Lifeguard Program today with more than 200 participants, marking the largest enrollment in the program’s history.
Early registration numbers have set a new program record, making 2026 the biggest Junior Lifeguard season to date for the South Walton Fire District. The program returns with a dual-curriculum model designed for both first-time participants and returning Juniors, offering foundational and advanced tracks that build progressively on beach safety skills.
SWFD Beach Safety personnel will train four separate groups of Junior Lifeguards, ages 9 through 16, throughout June and July. Participants will spend their days on South Walton beaches learning critical open-water safety skills including open water swimming, CPR and first aid, water rescue techniques, rip current identification, drowning prevention, and beach warning flag awareness.
The foundational curriculum gives new Juniors the opportunity to learn core lifeguarding skills and walk away better educated about beach safety. The advanced track takes those lessons further, creating a pipeline for participants to become professional lifeguards with SWFD once they turn 17.
“The two curriculums are already paying dividends for both the community and our program,” said SWFD Junior Lifeguard Program Coordinator Brandon Brown. “Foundations gives new Juniors the chance to learn core lifeguarding skills and walk away better educated about beach safety, while Advanced takes those lessons to the next level, creating a pipeline for them to become professional lifeguards with us once they turn 17.”
SWFD Beach Safety Director David Vaughan highlighted the program’s growth alongside the district’s expanding operations. “Juniors fits the mold on why we matter for this community and shows how far we have come in creating longevity for ourselves in 20 seasons of operations,” Vaughan said. “We’ve experienced tremendous growth so far this year adding new towers, now it’s time for the Juniors to bring the energy and make 2026 even more worth celebrating.”
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 each summer. The program operates in accordance with United States Lifesaving Association standards and is aligned with SWFD’s mission to reduce the incidence of open-water deaths and injuries along South Walton beaches.
SWFD protects 26 miles of coastline from 18 lifeguard towers, staffed daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the March through October season. Lifeguards are certified to USLA open-water standards and complete more than 110 hours of training including Emergency Medical First Response, CPR, and AED certification.
The district will release additional information and photos as the program gets underway. For registration and program details, visit SWFD.org or follow the SWFD Junior Lifeguard Program on Facebook.
Sources: MyPanhandle (WMBB) | SWFD Facebook | SWFD.org | 30A.com
