In 1878 the network of life saving stations were formally organized as a separate agency of the Treasury Department and was named the Life-Saving Service.
The US Life-Saving Service grew out of a network of coast watching stations established to provide assistance and shore rescue to disabled ships in the mid-19th century, but did not become formally established until 1871, when it came under the direction of Sumner Increase Kimball (1834-1923) of Lebanon, Maine.
Kimball reorganized the service, built many new stations with up-to-date equipment, established rigorous training and certification programs for stationmasters and surfmen, and set high standards for the Life-Saving Service. He continued to serve as the Director of the U.S. Life-Saving Service until it was absorbed by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1915.
