Advanced lifesaving awards

Advanced lifesaving awards

Elevate your skills and leadership on the beach

Once you have obtained your Bronze Medallion and gained experience on patrol, Stockton Surf Life Saving Club offers pathways to upskill into specialised rescue, emergency care and leadership roles.

Advanced awards allow active members to operate specialised lifesaving equipment, manage complex medical emergencies and lead patrol teams on Stockton Beach.

, Stockton Surf Life Saving Club
, Stockton Surf Life Saving Club

Specialised qualifications

Advanced resuscitation techniques

This course equips lifesavers with advanced emergency care skills to manage severe medical incidents on the beach until paramedic services arrive.

  • Prerequisites: Minimum 15 years of age and holding a Bronze Medallion or Surf Rescue Certificate.
  • What you will learn: Administration of medical oxygen, suction equipment, automated external defibrillators (AED) and airway management devices during resuscitation.

Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) crew and driver

IRBs are our primary powercraft for fast-response ocean rescues and navigating heavy surf conditions along Stockton Bight.

  • IRB Crew Certificate: Teaches candidates how to safely crew an IRB, execute in-water patient pickups and assist the driver in severe surf conditions (Minimum age: 15).
  • Silver Medallion IRB Driver: Teaches advanced powercraft navigation, engine maintenance, wave handling, and emergency rescue operations (Minimum age: 17; must hold IRB Crew Certificate).

Silver medallion aquatic rescue

Delivered through Hunter Branch, this advanced award trains lifesavers to perform complex search and rescue operations in dangerous coastal environments, rock platforms and offshore waters.

  • Prerequisites: Minimum 16 years of age, current Bronze Medallion, and successful completion of a 400m swim evaluation in under 8 minutes.
  • What you will learn: Search pattern strategies, rock rescue techniques, patient retrieval in heavy sea conditions and multi-agency coordination.

Silver medallion patrol captain

Delivered through Hunter Branch, this leadership qualification prepares experienced lifesavers to take overall command of beach patrols, managing team safety, public communications and emergency incidents.

  • Prerequisites: Minimum 17 years of age and extensive active patrol experience holding a Bronze Medallion.
  • What you will learn: Risk assessment, beach management, conflict resolution, emergency dispatch protocols with Surfcom and incident command.

How to enrol in advanced courses

All course enrolments are processed through your Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) Member Area account via the Education Hub.

Have questions about prerequisites or upcoming intake dates?

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