The City and County of Honolulu’s Ocean Safety Department is moving to a fully digital reporting system, which will replace the previous manual system that required lifeguards to handwrite incidents on paper logs.
The city is adopting the platform Watchtower, which department leaders say will increase operational efficiency, data accuracy and situational awareness across Oʻahu’s 44 lifeguard towers.
Lifeguards and supervisors can use the platform to immediately report daily activities while they are in the field. Kurt Lager, the chief of ocean safety, said this will also improve response time if emergency services need to be involved.
"Access to real-time information allows us to better understand what is happening across our beaches, make data-driven decisions, and respond more effectively to changing conditions,” Lager said in a statement. “This transition not only improves efficiency for our personnel in the field, but also strengthens our ability to plan, manage resources, and enhance public safety."
Data will also be tracked to analyze trends and support future public safety initiatives.
Tuesday’s announcement of the new system-wide platform came a day after a high surf warning for Hawaiʻi's south shores was issued. Honolulu’s Ocean Safety Department reported over 100 rescues on Monday and nearly 300 on Sunday along Oʻahu's south and west shores.
