Last time I was in Ocean City, I talked to a lifeguard who was working his first summer. Just the day before I spoke with him, he’d performed his first ever rescue, on a little girl who’d gotten caught in an undertow. Not being the strongest swimmer int he world, I was kind of relieved to hear that the rescue had gone well and the girl was fine. Nothing like knowing you’re in good hands, right?

Thanks to Ocean City’s Beach Patrol, this year thousands of beachgoers will know that same feeling. That’s because with the high point of the summer season comes an exhaustive effort to make sure that lifeguards are ready for whatever challenges may come their way. In addition to the demanding physical tests applicants to the job must pass, new guards receive 9 days of training and three weeks of supervised probation. Returning lifeguards must re-take their lifeguard tests each year they work, in addition to participating in regular drug tests. Guards who drive dune buggies must also be re-certified to be sure that they remember how to safely maneuver the vehicles.
And while some parts of the country are having to cut down on lifeguards due to a shortage of available young people, the town of Ocean City is actually hiring additional guards this summer to deal with the peak crowds, making sure that every station will be manned throughout the day, and extra guards will be on hand in case of emergencies.

So those of us who have not had a swimming class in a while, or who just happen to have seen Jaws a little bit too soon before going on vacation, can relax — we’re being watched over by the best lifeguarding force Ocean City has seen yet.

This entry was posted on Friday, June 27th, 2008 at 4:43 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.