The City of Sunny Isles Beach is proud to announce its Ocean Rescue Division has become nationally certified by the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA).
To achieve certification, the term used for the USLA’s accreditation process, the Sunny Isles Beach Ocean Rescue Division underwent a comprehensive review of its policies, training programs, operational procedures, and equipment standards. This included aligning practices with USLA guidelines in areas such as water rescue techniques, emergency medical response, preventive lifeguarding strategies, and ongoing personnel training and evaluation.
“This accomplishment reflects the City’s continued commitment to public safety, professional excellence, and the highest standards in ocean rescue operations,” said Police Chief Eddie Santiago. “It also positions Sunny Isles Beach among a select group of agencies nationwide recognized for meeting these advanced safety benchmarks.”
“We are proud of this achievement and confident that it will further enhance the safety and service we provide to our residents and visitors,” said Ocean Rescue Division Manager Justin Broman.
The Sunny Isles Beach Ocean Rescue Division began the application process in December, implementing several improvements to ensure they met the USLA standards. Among the changes were a revamped swim test, training and paperwork, as well as maintaining standardized lifeguard towers, increasing lifeguard training to 50 hours, and ensuring all lifeguards are trained and certified Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) or Emergency Medical Responders (EMR).
The USLA is nationally and internationally recognized for establishing minimum recommended standards for the training, equipment, and operational preparedness of agencies responsible for preventing drowning and injuries in open water environments. Since 1993, the USLA has implemented this accreditation program to encourage lifeguard agencies to strive for excellence and to formally recognize agencies that meet these rigorous professional standards.
Unlike centralized training models, the USLA system allows each agency to conduct its own training programs using internal instructors, while adhering strictly to USLA guidelines. This approach ensures that all national standards are met while allowing flexibility to adapt training and operations to local environmental conditions—such as surf, weather patterns, and beach usage specific to our community.
About the City of Sunny Isles Beach: Located on a barrier island in northeast Miami-Dade County, the City of Sunny Isles Beach has transformed into a world-class destination over the past two decades. With a population of more than 22,200 residents, the City is known for its cultural diversity and features 11 parks within its 1.78 square miles, including the iconic Newport Fishing Pier. Sunny Isles Beach is also home to the A-rated Norman S. Edelcup/Sunny Isles Beach K-8 School. Learn more at sibfl.gov and stay connected with us on social media: Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube.
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About USLA: The United States Lifesaving Association is America’s nonprofit, professional association of beach lifeguards and open water rescuers. The USLA works to reduce the incidence of death and injury in the aquatic environment through public education, national lifeguard standards, training programs, promotion of high levels of lifeguard readiness, and other means.
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