San José del Cabo’s fire department graduated 16 new lifeguards from its Aquatic Rescue Academy, marking the program’s fifth cohort since the training initiative began. Fire Commander Omar Barreras Núñez said the newly certified rescuers will strengthen coastal emergency response across the Los Cabos municipality.
Six Months of Open Water and Classroom Training
The graduates completed a six-month program combining classroom instruction with practical drills in both confined and open water settings. Municipal maritime zone coordinator Rafael Álvarez Munguía had previously cited staffing gaps in aquatic rescue coverage, and the 16 new lifeguards are meant to address that shortage directly.
The San José del Cabo volunteer fire department operates with roughly 80 active firefighters and paramedics. In 2021 alone, the department responded to more than 2,169 medical emergencies, 177 vehicle accidents, and 163 structural fires across a coverage area of about 176.5 square kilometers (68 square miles) stretching from the Hotel Zone corridor near Arroyo El Tule north to the town of Santiago.
Los Cabos Beach Safety Network Expands
The academy operates alongside programs run by Surf Lifesaving del Sur, a nonprofit that has trained lifeguards for both the San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas fire departments for nearly three decades. That organization’s efforts helped establish aquatic safety divisions within both departments, with trained “Bomberos Salvavidas” (firefighter lifeguards) and junior lifeguard programs now active in the region.
Los Cabos currently has nine public beaches with full-time, salaried lifeguard protection staffed by ZOFEMAT (the federal maritime zone administration). Major beachfront hotels along the Tourist Corridor between San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas also maintain dedicated lifeguard teams. Still, the municipality’s rapid growth, with a metro population now exceeding 350,000 residents and millions of annual visitors, has kept demand for aquatic rescuers ahead of supply.
The department’s central station sits on Boulevard Antonio Mijares in San José del Cabo’s historic downtown, with a second station, Estación “Rogelio Wilkes Zacatal,” on Calle Licenciado Braulio Maldonado Sández. The five graduating classes from the Aquatic Rescue Academy have now produced dozens of certified lifeguards embedded within the fire service. Barreras Núñez said training for a sixth cohort is expected to begin later this year, according to the Los Cabos municipal government.