Temporary Lifeguard

The Position

Limerick City and County Council is responsible for the promotion of water safety and the prevention of the loss of life by drowning within the boundary of Limerick and on the rivers and navigation channels. The Council works closely with the local Fire and Rescue Services, Civil Defence Units and local Search and Rescue Units.

Main Duties

• Beach Lifeguards will be responsible for the performance of their duties and will work under the immediate supervision of the Water Safety Development Officer or their nominee.

• Beach Lifeguards shall read, be familiar with and adhere to the Safety Statement for Beach Guards; participate in induction training and cooperate with other safety training provided by the Council as required. Any issues of health and safety concern shall be referred to the Water Safety Development Officer, the Executive Engineer – Coastal or the Health and Safety Officer. The procedure for reporting issues of concern is set out in the Safety Statement.

The Beach

• All equipment must be checked daily each morning to see that it is in working order and ready for use. Any defects notified should be reported immediately to the Council. All lifesaving and first aid equipment must be inspected on arrival for duty to ensure that adequate stocks are available and in good working order.

• Indication flags should be placed in prominent positions. The following flag system is to be used:

• Red flag signifies that bathing is considered temporarily unsafe.

• Red over yellow flag signifies that bathing between any two such flags is under supervision of a Beach Lifeguard.

• No flag is flown if there is no Beach Lifeguard on duty.

• From the start of the duty period, the appropriate flags must be flown and changed or relocated as necessary during the day.

• At the conclusion of the duty period each evening, all flags must be removed and all equipment checked and securely stored in the appropriate place.

• Except for emergency assistance or official business, no one other than lifeguard personnel is permitted in the lifeguard station.

Bathers

• Beach Lifeguards must always be courteous to bathers and give them the necessary information regarding state of tides, currents and parts of the strand which are not safe for bathing.

• If, in the Beach Lifeguard’s opinion, bathers are about to enter water at a point which is considered dangerous owing to currents, shifting sands and so forth, they should immediately warn them and give the reasons.

• To provide emergency rescue service in the case of accidents.

• To go immediately to the assistance of persons in difficulties in the water and render to such persons the necessary attention. To render first aid when possible.

• Where bathers are about to enter water at a point which is considered dangerous owing to currents, shifting sands and so forth, they should immediately warn them and give them reasons. Practice a philosophy of prevention over reaction in carrying out the service.

• If bathers are acting in an indecent manner, the Beach Lifeguard should bring this fact to the notice of the Garda Siochana at the earliest opportunity.

Other Duties for Consideration

• Except when the beach is empty, the Beach Lifeguard should be on patrol or on lookout outside the hut. The Beach Lifeguard should never be inside the hut except when relieved for meals and so forth, or when they are certain there is nobody on the beach. They should not allow their concentration to be diverted in conversations with the public or in reading. The primary duty of the Beach Lifeguard is to prevent accident situations from developing. The can buoy should be strategically placed so that it may be used at a moment’s notice. Special vigilance is required where there are rocks or an outflow of a river, as there are likely to be undertows or currents.

• Where Beach Lifeguards have to leave to partake of meals, arrangements should be made so that one Beach Lifeguard will be on duty during the other’s absence for such purpose and patrol their area in addition to their own. Where one Beach Lifeguard only is employed, the following procedure should be adopted regarding the lunch hour:

• No flag should be flown when they are off duty for their meal.

• The meal must be arranged at a time other than the peak bathing hours.

• Where two Beach Lifeguards are on duty on a particular beach:

• One Beach Lifeguard shall remain at a vantage point from which a full view of the beach can be had and remain on constant lookout.

• The other Beach Lifeguard shall maintain a patrol of the beach in such a manner that any given point along the beach is visited at least once in every fifteen minutes.

• Brief reports should be exchanged when they meet but lifeguards should never be seen to congregate together or with other groups.

• To carry out a beach patrol which shall be maintained along the beach and, when the tide is in, the patrol shall be maintained as close to the beach as possible.

• To provide constant observation and supervision of activities at public bathing places in order to prevent drowning accidents.

• To inspect the patrol area and, where possible, remove any dangerous or offensive items. If the lifeguard cannot deal with the matter, he should immediately report to his supervisor.

• To ensure that the lifeguard station is kept clean and tidy and in a state of readiness for emergencies.

• At appropriate times, check the ring buoys and other safety equipment on the beach.

• Beach Lifeguards may be required to assist in conducting aquatic events and water safety programs.

• Beach Lifeguards shall carry out all appropriate duties as laid down in the Water Safety Ireland Lifeguard Handbook.

• Beach Lifeguards should enter in the logbook the times of commencing and ceasing duty, morning, mealtime and evening each day and should make a note of any incident such as rescues. The logbook should be available at all times for inspection by any duly authorised member of the County Council staff. Beach Lifeguards shall notify the Coast Guard of times of commencing and ceasing duty.

• To record in a daily logbook:

– The names and attendance times of all guards on duty.

– The general weather and tidal conditions.

– What flags were flown and when they were changed during the day.

– Any information which may assist the Authorities in improving the service.

• Beach Lifeguards will be required to keep an Accident and Incident Record Book.

• The Senior Beach Lifeguard at each location will, in addition to carrying out all of the duties of Beach Lifeguard including taking full part in any roster arrangements, be responsible for ensuring that the Beach Lifeguards at their location comply fully with the terms of the duties, responsibilities and general regulations of the post.

• To complete all appropriate rescue and first aid forms.

• To provide advice to the public regarding facilities, state of tides, currents, parts of the beach which are not safe for bathing, hazards, water safety and so forth. To proactively implement this, including but not restricted to, by carrying out public relations and educational patrols during quiet times.

The Person – Qualifications

Character

Candidates will demonstrate through their application and at interview that they:

(i) hold, as a minimum, a current Water Safety Ireland Beach Lifeguard Award or an equivalent qualification as recognised by the International Lifesaving Federation.

(ii) have thorough knowledge of resuscitation including Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation.

(iii) are not less than eighteen years of age on 18 May 2026.

Other qualifications that are desirable include: Very High Frequency Certificate, First Aid, Irish Sailing Association Powerboat Level 2 or higher, Manual Handling, Occupational Health and Safety Certificate.

Before employment, candidates will be required to submit documentary evidence to Limerick City and County Council in support of their application. The original current valid Lifeguard Award must be submitted to Human Resources prior to attendance for swim and resuscitation examination.

Health

Candidates shall be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.

Terms and Conditions

Annual Leave

The Council’s annual leave year runs from January to December.

Annual Leave is in accordance with the provisions of the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 and the Organisation of Working Time Regulations 2001. Annual leave is calculated as eight per cent of the hours worked in a leave year, subject to a maximum of four working weeks.

Annual leave entitlement will be calculated at the conclusion of the fixed term contract, and remuneration for same will be made at the end of the contract.

Granting of annual leave, payment for annual leave and arrangements for public holidays will be governed by the provisions of the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 as amended.

Rate of Pay

Six hundred and eighty four euro and twenty five cent per thirty seven hour week.

Hours of Work

Determined in order of merit following interview, Lifeguards will be required to work a thirty seven hour week of irregular hours to coincide with tidal conditions and bathing periods, including split shifts, work at weekends and particularly over holiday weekends.

Successful applicants must be available for duty for the June Bank Holiday weekend, all other weekends in June and full time for the months of July and August 2026.

Superannuation

The Local Government Superannuation Scheme.

Garda Vetting

The National Vetting Bureau Children and Vulnerable Persons Act 2012 to 2016 came into effect on 29 April 2016. The Act places a statutory obligation on Limerick City and County Council to ensure that any work or activity which is carried out by a person, a necessary and regular part of which consists mainly of a person having access to or contact with children or vulnerable persons, will be subject of Garda Vetting. A Garda Vetting form must be fully completed by every candidate. The Parent or Guardian Consent Form should only be completed in respect of candidates who are under eighteen years.

Pre Employment Medical

It may be necessary for all candidates who are successful at the practical test and the interview to undergo, at his or her expense, a medical examination by a qualified medical practitioner to be nominated by the Council. On taking up employment, the expense of the medical will be refunded to the candidate. Visionary or other medical conditions must be rectified before employment.

Application Process

Completed application forms must be emailed to recruitment@limerick.ie

no later than 06 March 2026.

An official application form must be completed in full by the closing date for the competition. Amendments to the application form will not be accepted after the closing date. Curricula vitae will not be accepted in lieu of an application form.

Applications should be sent from an email address that will be reviewed regularly, as communication during the assessment and selection period will only be through that email address. Applicants should also ensure that they regularly review their spam or junk email folder, as occasionally an email service provider may direct emails to that folder.

Selection Process

Candidates will initially be assessed to ensure that they meet the minimum qualifications set down above under The Person.

Candidates will then be assessed on the basis of the information contained in their application form to determine, having regard to the requirements of the position, the person specification and the number who have applied, if they should be called for interview.

All candidates will be required to undergo a practical test in Basic Life Support, swimming ability, lifesaving techniques and a theory test conducted by examiner or examiners nominated by Water Safety Ireland. The date of this assessment will be advised in due course.

Basic Life Support Assessments

Practical Basic Life Support Assessments:

• Practical assessment of basic life support skills.

• General aspects of safe lifeguarding, ten questions.

Timed Swim:

• Two hundred metre freestyle in less than four minutes, starting in the water with can buoy or rescue tube and no tumble turns.

• Two hundred metre swim timed. If the candidate’s swim is outside four minutes, the candidate fails the Timed Swim Assessment.

Pool Assessment:

• One hundred metre tow with can buoy or rescue tube in not more than four minutes.

• Twenty five metre approach, release and twenty five metre carry, front double.

• Twenty five metre approach, release and twenty five metre carry, rear double.

• Spinal injury management in shallow water, splint or clamp.

• Underwater search twenty five metre, locate and pick up submerged manikin, exchange at surface for subject and administer deep water resuscitation for ten metres.

• Twenty metre approach, surface dive and deep water resuscitation.

• Board Rescue.