The staff of the Beach Safety Division is made up of 25 state certified Emergency Medical Technicians who are proficient in the latest lifesaving techniques.  The permanent staff is supplemented by 33 part-time lifeguards who are also experts in water rescue and maintain a First Responder certification.

Beach Safety personnel perform an average of 150-200 ocean rescues a year, a relatively low number considering the amount of people who visit our beach every year (almost 5 million in 1999).  The reason for this is our preventative lifesaving philosophy, which focuses on preventative action and keeping bathers away from ocean hazards.  As a result of this approach to lifesaving, Hollywood claims the number one safety record in the state.  No drownings have occurred on our beach during guarded hours in over 20 years.  This statistic certainly qualifies Hollywood Beach as one of the safest  beaches anywhere.

Both officers and lifeguards are kept in "fighting trim" through vigorous daily workouts consisting of swimming, sand running and paddling, as well as training in different ocean rescue techniques in all types of surf conditions.  In order to maintain a high level of competency in all areas of professional lifesaving, Beach Safety requires it's personnel the successful completion of a twice yearly lifesaving requalification examination.