T

he beach life is one filled with playing with 

friends and family along the shores, building 

sandcastles, and frolicking in the waves. 

There are a few special people who make 

this carefree lifestyle possible; they are the Lifeguards. 

Destin Fire has led a Junior Lifeguard Program for the 

past 12 years. This incredible program offers youth 

ages 8 through 15 the opportunity to become a coveted 

Junior Lifeguard. The program started out with 40 

students and grew to 120. An average class has around 

60 students who are completely focused on learning 

lifeguarding techniques over the course of an eight-

week period. The summer program teaches youth a 

variety of important skills including First Aid, CPR & 

AED training. In addition to these useful skills they 

are also taught to identify marine life and achieve water 

awareness. The program has grown and evolved over the 

years. The courses began at June White Decker Park, 

then James Lee Park, and are now held at Henderson 

Beach Park. 

Along with the lifesaving skills these youth learn, 

the class also takes field trips around the beautiful 

Emerald Coast to further their education. The Junior 

Lifeguards visit The Okaloosa Island Fishing Pier, go 

SCUBA diving with Emerald Coast Scuba, and tour 

Destin Fire Station 9. The students who are back for 

their second and multiple years, the Lifeguards In 

Training, also get to venture out aboard a fisher charter 

and have some fun at local spots like Big Kahunas and 

The Track. The Junior Lifeguard Program is near and 

dear to the hearts of many, including the Beach Safety 

Division Chief of the Destin Fire Control District, Joe 

D’Agostino, who recalled one of his favorite memories 

during the first year of the program. On the first day 

of class there was some tropical weather in the Gulf 

that created a good-sized wave on the beach. “Due to a 

recent drowning at the time, the parents and guardians 

were fearful of allowing children in the Gulf. After 8 

weeks of working with the kids we had surf again on the 

last day of the program. Kids were body surfing and 

paddle boarding in what was once considered conditions 

to fear,” said Joe.  “The culture at the time 

was if red flags were present, people should 

stay at home. While we always encourage 

our visitors and non-experienced surfers 

or swimmers to stay out during red flag 

conditions, this need not be the case for 

trained individuals. California, Hawaii, 

and Australia all experience surf on a daily 

basis,” Joe described. He believes that by 

exposing local youth to these conditions in a 

safe manner, kids can learn how to recreate 

these behaviors in a surf environment. They 

learn to respect, and not fear, the Gulf, rip 

currents, and waves. This is the mindset that 

we should all adopt when hitting the beach 

this summer. Let’s keep it safe and have 

some fun in the sun! 

 story by

 

Courtney Murray

  

|  photos provided by

 

Destin Lifeguards

Spa & Resort Profile 

Junior Lifeguards

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