La Jolla Lifeguards Push for Equal Disability Benefits

A La Jolla lifeguard's dislocated hip could help align disability benefits for lifeguards, police officers and firefighters in San Diego.

Brian Zeller, a lifeguard with the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, was repelling down a cliff to rescue three people stranded on Black's Beach in La Jolla last summer when he dislocated his hip, according to a U-T San Diego report.

While Zeller thought he would be able to get a one-year leave of absence with full salary, like police and firefighters do, he soon found out that state disability law only provides lifeguards with a maximum of 60 percent of their salary, tax-free, during leave, the report stated.

State Sen. Marty Block (D-San Diego) introduced SB 527 in February to change this. The bill would amend state labor code to give San Diego lifeguards the same one-year allowance that police and firefighters are entitled to. It was passed by the Senate in April, the Assembly last week and awaits Gov. Jerry Brown's signature.

Local lifeguards have been called to on to rescue unconscious kayakers, passengers on overheated powerboats and people falling from cliffs.