Surf Life Saving volunteer’s medal for service
Water Police officer Doug Lucas has been awarded the Emergency Services Medal for 6,500 volunteer hours with Pittwater Surf Life Saving clubs (SLSC).
Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley, Governor of NSW, gave Doug the award for the King’s Birthday 2025 Honours List.
“It was humbling to be among so many people who have done so many different things for the community and all the diverse and wonderful backgrounds they come from,” Doug says.
The Narrabeen resident juggles shift work with the Water Police in Broken Bay with his family life as a husband to Sophie and a dad to three young daughters. Even so, he still managed to rack up 6,500 volunteer hours with Surf Life Saving clubs – including Long Reef, Narrabeen, and Palm Beach.
It’s an incredible achievement for Doug, who grew up loving the water and going to the beach.
“We used to go down the south coast, to Sussex Inlet,” says Doug. “I’ve grown up on boats, swimming and jumping off wharves. It’s always been a great way to spend downtime – either in the swimming pool or catching waves in the ocean.” He lived with his grandmother through some senior school years as his parents worked overseas and he became quite self-sufficient. He loved playing sports, especially cricket.
“I wanted to play cricket for Australia but wasn’t quite good enough,” he says.
Doug first got involved with surf lifesaving clubs in 1998 when he started surf boat rowing with mates as a way of staying fit.
“I slowly worked my way through different awards, driving jet skis and boats,” says Doug. “I started at Long Reef SLSC, where I did my bronze medallion.” He was club captain there for six years, president for nine, and ran the cadet program training future life savers.
Surf Life Saving is a family affair for Doug, Sophie and daughters
Doug met his wife Sophie at Palm Beach SLSC. “She was rowing there when I got involved with the club in around 2012, helping them with examining and assessing for various awards,” Doug recalls. He’s been on the SLS NSW Board of Education and Assessment for over 20 years now.
Doug found time to volunteer at Narrabeen SLSC too when the club needed rubber ducky (inflatable rescue boat) drivers. “They’d ask me to fill in on a patrol and I ended up just going, ‘Well, you guys are a small club, I’ll find the extra hours and patrol for you as well,’” says Doug.
Life on the water is a family affair and Doug is age manager for the Nippers program at North Narrabeen SLSC. “It’s exciting,” he says. “I’ve got three girls there who are at the start of their journey. Annabel’s in the under nines, Phoebe’s in the under sevens and four-year-old Molly is swimming 25 metres in the pool wishing she could be doing everything her big sisters are doing,” Doug laughs. “Most of the time she comes to Nippers as well.”
“It refreshes me as I can keep fit and encourage the next generation to get involved and also give something back to their community.”
Doug wears many volunteer hats, and he has won many awards over the years such as Australian Surf Life Saver of the Year.
“It’s been a blast and a great journey,” says Doug. “It’s been an honour to help the community and club members in SLS.” But he’s not about to hang up the reds and yellows any time soon. “I look forward to being involved in my local community for many years to come.”