Coronado, CA Lifeguards
Situation
In July 2014, one person was killed and 13 injured when lightning struck swimmers at Venice Beach in Southern California.
Lifeguards are tasked with protecting swimmers and beachgoers by alerting and warning of severe weather, lightning, rip currents, undertow, sharks, jellyfish, contaminated water, storm surges, and beach restrictions and closures.
Problem
Wind, surf, crowd, jet skis and motorboats create significant challenges for lifeguards trying to warn or communicate to swimmers, boaters and beachgoers.
The poor voice quality and limited broadcast range inherent in bullhorns and portable P.A. systems force lifeguards to repeat warnings and notifications several times with no assurance that they are heard or understood.
Solution
In addition to unprecedented vocal clarity and broadcast range, LRAD long-range communication systems are 20 – 30 dB louder than bullhorns and portable P.A. systems, ensuring lifeguard warnings and notifications are clearly heard and understood over beach and surf background noise.
When the remnants of hurricane Dolores brought lightning and heavy rain to the Coronado area in July 2015, Coronado Beach lifeguards utilized an LRAD mounted on the main, three-story tower overlooking the large beach to broadcast highly intelligible warnings and notifications to swimmers, surfers and beachgoers of the approaching danger.
For several days after the storm, lifeguards utilized the LRAD to broadcast beach closure announcements due to urban runoff from the nearby Tijuana River.
“LRAD is perfect for lifeguard use!” – Sean Carey, Lifeguard Captain – Coronado, CA
Genasys’ proprietary audio technology focuses sound in a 15° – 30° beam in front of its Long Range Acoustic Devices ® while significantly reducing audio levels behind the devices and in surrounding areas.
From elevated beach towers and without disturbing beachgoers, lifeguards can safely increase broadcast volume to warn swimmers, surfers and boaters out to 600 yards away of danger or to stay away from restricted areas.
• Genasys Protect mobile app provides a single authoritative source for the public during emergencies through seamless notifications, zone-based maps, and real-time resource information.
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