Sri Lanka Coast Guard

PREAMBLE

Sri Lanka Coast Guard Life Saving Training School (LSTS) commenced its functions in 2012; since then the school qualified more than 3000 lifeguards through in-house training programs. SLCG Lifeguards who received lifesaving qualifications from this institution have been deploying to provide lifeguard coverage at 17 well known beach sites resulted in saving more than 1800 lives so far from the last ten years. If SLCG lifeguard coverage had not been provided fate of those 1800 caught in drowning would have been ended in critical conditions. Therefore, SLCG lifeguards not only looking after safety of people in beaches but also contribute to uphold public and social security as a whole. SLCG lifeguard service provides a significant support to national health care system by taking drowning prevention and aquatic accident response measures ensuing from minimizing use of medical care facilities for drown-patients. In the meantime LSTS training facilities has been planned to provide extended training support in 2023 focusing to empower lifeguard-minded unemployed civilians with lifeguard vocational skills to qualify them for foreign and local lifeguard-job market.

Apart from responding into aquatic emergency situations by providing life-rescue supports, Sri Lanka Coast Guard Life Saving Training School extend their training and services for drowning preventive activities and making the public aware on water safety through various community support programs. In addition to the public safety, services provide through the coastal lifeguard points; SLCG water safety coverage equally provides for national events and festival seasons ensuring public safety from aquatic accidents by acting even beyond its geographical area of responsibility. In overall, the coverage of SLCG lifeguard service is concern, it is being extended over the island and thus SLCG- lifeguard training has been reached into the national level.

Further Sri Lanka Coast Guard Life Saving Training School is official member of Sri Lanka Life Saving Association and Royal Life Saving Society UK.

MOTTO

“Working diligently for saving lives”

“ජීවිත බේරා ගැනීම වෙනුවෙන් කැපවීමෙන් සේවයට”

AIM

To enable Coast Guard personnel to carry out lifesaving duties as life savers, produce qualified lifesaving instructors and to reduce drowning and water related accidents.

OBJECTIVES

To develop and recommend best practices in drowning prevention, aquatic life saving, recovery and emergency care.

Teach life saving and establish educational exchanges of aquatic life saving techniques and operations.

Exchange medical and scientific experiences in the field of aquatic life saving and drowning prevention.

Promote and organize lifesaving sports and aquatic life saving competitions in order to stimulate the interest of competitors to improve their ability and willingness to save people who are in danger in an aquatic environment.

Encourage the conduct of training and development of standards available to the whole aquatic life saving world for drowning prevention, lifesaving and lifesaving sports.

Promote uniformity concerning equipment, information, symbols and laws for control and regulation within the aquatic environment.

TRAINING

The Lifesaving Training School inaugurated its training by starting a Basic Level lifesaving course on 12^th November 2012 with 12 numbers of trainees. At present, the School is facilitated with one classroom which can accommodate 30 trainees, multi-media equipment and training material for the proper conduct of life saving courses. Qualified instructors and examiners conduct all lifesaving courses adhering to standard procedures and guidelines. Theoretical and practical knowledge is given to trainees by using available resources to perform duties as confident life savers. Swimming training is conducted at SLNS Nipuna swimming pool and sea swimming practices are conducting at the Balapitiya beach. All life savers are trained at the Madampe River as well to build confidence to carry out duties in any environment.

Not only Coast Guard personnel but members of the tri forces and civilians are also provided training at LSTS Balapitiya. The Mobile Training Team of the school conducts one day and two days lifesaving awareness programs all over the country.