SINGAPORE LIFE SAVING SO

The Singapore Life Saving Society (SLSS) is a non-profit organisation with a mission to promote aquatic safety and lifesaving. The SLSS is a charity registered under the Charities Act 1982 (Regn. No. 00002) and an Institution of Public Character. Donations from organisations and members of the public help to fund our activities and donations to the SLSS are tax exempt.

The SLSS is also a member of the National Council of Social Service, a national sports association recognised by the Singapore Sports Council, a national member of The Royal Life Saving Society, Commonwealth, and a national member of The International Life Saving Federation.

The main activities of SLSS in Singapore are to :

(a) promote technical education in aquatic life saving, first aid, oxygen administration and resuscitation;

(b) promote adoption of swimming and life saving in schools, colleges and higher educational institutes;

(c) encourage floating, diving, plunging and such other swimming arts as would be of assistance to a person endeavouring to save life;

(d) arrange and promote public lectures, demonstrations and competitions and to form classes, instructions, so as to bring about a widespread and thorough knowledge of the principles which underlie the art of natation;

(e) promote, assist in and develop aquatic skills programmes suitable for individuals with special disabilities; and

(f) monitor, examine and certify graded lifesaving, lifeguarding and their related awards.

The SLSS is widely recognised as the authority on water safety and lifesaving in Singapore. Our affiliates include uniformed groups (the police, the armed forces and the civil defence force), swimming clubs, schools, institutions of higher learning and recreation clubs. We examine and administer a complete range of lifesaving awards that are used as the basis for employment by lifeguards in Singapore. The SLSS also assists and advises organisations on water safety and lifesaving, and some of our affiliates and members have been providing volunteer lifeguard services since the time we were founded.

Drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental deaths and our Society is committed to preventing it. Since 1967, the SLSS has issued over 100,000 lifesaving awards in Singapore and lifesavers and lifeguards trained by the SLSS and its affiliates have saved numerous lives.

In 2007, the SLSS was awarded the Citation of Merit by the International Life Saving Federation in recognition of the society's devotion to the cause of the saving of life in the aquatic environment over the past 40 years. It is the highest international accolade given to the society for its work in lifesaving, drowning prevention and water safety and for its programmes like free public lifesaving clinics and aquatic programmes for the disabled. This award from the world body for lifesaving is in addition to previous honours like the 1978 Singapore Youth Award and the 2002 Commonwealth Youth Services Award given to the society and the 2001 Singapore Youth Award given to its Aquatic Programmes for the Disabled Unit.

SLSS is a national member of The Royal Life Saving Society and The International Life Saving Federation.