How Orange Beach’s Surf Rescue Program Keeps Watch Over 7.5 Miles of Coastline

Orange Beach’s lifeguard program has grown considerably since it was formed in 2008 as a division of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, when daily patrols consisted of two lifeguards covering 7.5 miles of coastline and educating beachgoers about water safety.

The program was moved under the Orange Beach Fire Department on Jan. 1, 2012, when the Beach Safety Division was created. It now operates as a Certified Lifeguard Agency under the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA).

The division’s lifeguard staff includes 33 employees: a Beach Safety Chief, two Beach Safety Supervisors and three Open Water Lifeguard Specialists working full time; three part-time Beach Safety Supervisors; and 24 temporary or seasonal lifeguards.

Lifeguards operate on a seasonal schedule from March 1 through Oct. 31. From March through May, and again from September through Oct. 31, lifeguards are on duty from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. From Memorial Day through Labor Day, coverage runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., though staffing is reduced between 6 p.m. and sunset. No lifeguards are on duty from November through February, though the department maintains limited patrols and response during that period.

Each summer, Orange Beach Surf Rescue also typically offers three sessions of its Junior Lifeguard Program, teaching participants rip current safety, beach safety, CPR, physical health, teamwork and water rescue skills. The Beach Safety Division is based at the Orange Beach Aquatics Center, 4853 Wilson Blvd.

The Story Behind the Name: Molly’s Patrol

Orange Beach’s Surf Rescue program is also known locally as Molly’s Patrol, a name that honors Molly Bryant, a 15-year-old who drowned after being caught in a rip current while swimming in the Gulf during a youth church group trip in July 2003. Earlier that same summer, Molly had volunteered on a mission trip in San Francisco, feeding and ministering to homeless children, an experience that had shaped her hope to one day devote her life to children’s ministry.

After her death, Molly’s family, Tommy and Rebecca Bryant, worked to advance beach and water safety in her memory, and a donation from the family led the Surf Rescue program to adopt the Molly’s Patrol name.

About USLA certification

The United States Lifesaving Association is the national professional association of beach lifeguards and open water rescuers. Its agency certification program recognizes lifeguard agencies that meet its minimum standards for training, staffing and equipment. The association advises swimmers caught in a rip current to stay calm and swim parallel to the shore rather than against the current.