1. Our unique 'Train the Helper' course is conducted before each new branch holds its first event.
2. Event organizers will seek and gain clearance from the local council as well as involving, where appropriate, the local professional lifeguard and/or patrol captain on the day.
3. All attendees to 'Hands On Days' must sign an attendance register either as a participant (disabled), carer or a helper (able or disabled). Wrist-bands clearly identify all attendees (yellow = participant, red/white = participant who cannot float unaided in
still water for 30 secs, blue = carer, white = novice helper, orange = experienced helper) - no wrist band, no participation.
4. All participants have their name printed on their wristbands.
5. All helpers wear coloured rash vests, preferably long sleeved, with one colour (white or red) reserved for team leaders.
6. All carer dependent participants must have their carer in attendance throughout the day.
7. The disabled attendee register will clearly indicate what disability each participant has and any special needs/considerations.
8. Before an event starts the assembly is broken into two groups: the participants and the helpers. Each group is briefed on the day's proceedings with conditions on the day specifically being addressed.
9. Each event has 2 marshals who have control over the day's surfing activities including the initial 'are the surf conditions on the day safe for the event to go ahead?' They are responsible for final decisions pertaining to location, numbers of participants
in the water at any given time and severe special needs considerations.
10. At no time will there be more than 10 disabled participants in the water surfing. Depending on the make up of the group, particularly the conditions, it is possible to have as few as 1 or 2 participants in the water at a given time.
11. Surfing is always undertaken in broken waves up to a maximum of waist to chest depth. This obviously varies somewhat with vertically challenged helpers.
12. The helper to participant ratio, from surfboard to shore, is 6 to 1 i.e. 6 helpers per participant, with at
least 3 helpers beside the participant on the board. With severe special needs participants, such as C2 quadriplegia with breathing assistance, this ratio can expand out to 30 to 1, with at least 10 helpers carrying and managing the board with the participant on
it.
13. Preferably at least 2 amphibious or all terrain wheelchairs will be in use during each event even if suitable beach matting be available. This provides dignified access to the beach and its surf for the participants while preventing lifting (back) injuries
to the helpers.
14. Wet suits and surfsocks (the latter, a DSA invention: to limit exposure and blunt trauma with lower limb challenged participants), rash vests, PFDs (personal flotation devices), surf helmets, sunscreen and sun cover tents on the beach are all provided to
address individual needs.
15. Apart from helpers in the water there is a separate group of helpers at the shoreline to act as additional greeters, watchers and comforters.
16. All surfing takes place in waist to shin depth water, surfing broken waves, always
with a helper riding tandem with the participant, at least for the first surfing session.
17. Cases of former surfers returning from injury or managing a permanent debilitating injury, wishing to surf on their own, will be judged on each individual case's merits. The final decision rests with the marshal(s) after consultation with the participant
and carer, where appropriate, AND taking into account the conditions on the day as to whether the participant can surf without a tandem rider.
18. The surfing location will be marked by 2 'feathers', i.e. beach flags - or signs.
19. All volunteers, carers and participants are covered by DSAA personal insurance provided they are correctly signed in on the signing-in sheet, before participating in the event.
20. There is always a designated first aid officer with full first aid equipment at all events. Any injuries sustained by any attendee requiring attention, will be logged in by this officer at the time of the event in question.
21. All supervising volunteers (i.e. team leaders)
will have signed a Working With Children Clearance form, as per state requirements.
22. Active provision for sun protection, in the form of suitable sun-shade tents and access to sun screen lotion, as well as regular re-hydration, will be provided both on the beach and at the sign-in areas.
23. On days where the weather forecast involves temperatures of 40*C + or where the local fire authority has categorized the bushfire danger as being 'extreme' or 'catastrophic' for that area, the DSA event will be cancelled in the
interests of public safety. Media releases, both print and radio/TV, will be apprised of the cancellation as soon as the forecasts are made public.
