MALIBU—Lifeguards of the Los Angeles County Fire Department will be recognized at the Lifeguard Medal of Valor dinner in Redondo Beach on July 31 for their heroism and exemplary bravery during the Woolsey Fire that transpired in Malibu in November 2018.
This year, the Lifeguard Medal of Valor, first awarded in 1981, will be handed out during a ceremony coinciding with the International Surf Festival. It will be sponsored by the Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce.
The Lifeguard Medal of Valor commemoration gives recognition to Los Angeles County Lifeguards for their “acts of heroism in the line of duty,” as stated on their website. The commemoration serves as a signal to lifeguards that the public recognizes and appreciates the tremendous efforts they undertake.
Distinguished Service Medals will be presented to Malibu Ocean Lifeguards Captain Ryan Addison and Specialist Tim Ryan. Addison and Ryan helped mobilize and organize residents of Malibu’s Paradise Cove community as they defended their homes from the approaching Woolsey Fire back in 2018.
In addition, Ocean Lifeguard Dick Douglas will be recognized for his work as a lifeguard. ISF states that Dick is best known as the longtime “Voice of the South Bay” for his “dark and stormy night” descriptions of lifeguard heroics. Dick has protected Malibu’s beaches and saved countless lives for over 50 years.
ISF’s Lifeguard Medal of Valor dinner will recognize these acts of heroism and will award the honorees with bronze medals featuring a running lifeguard carrying a rescue float prior to the annual International Surf Festival.
The event will take place at 6 p.m. at Seaside Lagoon. Attendees can register on ISF’s website (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lifeguard-medal-of-valor-dinner-registration-58049573838). There is a nominal $20 fee which includes dinner and a no-host bar.
