Lifeguards start summer recruitment

Department needs about 200 extra guards to keep an eye on the beaches in busy months.Wednesday may have marked the official beginning of winter, but for the Newport Beach lifeguards, that’s a cue to gear up for summertime.

The lifeguards have already begun recruiting for the some 200 seasonal guards needed to staff Newport’s beaches and keep swimmers safe during the busy summer months.

“The hardest part is we’re looking for people who are good water people but also people with good character,” said Lifeguard Battalion Chief Reenie Boyer, who is in charge of hiring and training of seasonal lifeguards.

And those who think the job’s just a day at the beach need not apply.

Only one in three people who apply are hired. Once they’ve got the job, they are required to work 40 hours a week, said Lifeguard Battalion Chief Jim Turner.

Applicants begin the process in March and won’t know until May if they’ve made the cut. Applicants must participate in a competitive 1,000-meter ocean swim, followed by a 1,000-meter run-swim-run. The physical exam is coupled with an interview.

Surviving the physical exam and interview only gets you so far.

As a member of the 2006 training class, you must attend five weekends of all-day training sessions at a minimum wage rate. Only then are you told if you’re one of the lucky asked to join the rankest of the Newport Beach lifeguards.

“A lot of them tend to be very self-motivated to go through 110 hours of training to prepare for a job that they may or may not get,” Turner said.

It’s a long road to the top and the standards are high for good reason. The lifeguards need to staff the beaches to keep people safe; they’re also out in public representing the city of Newport Beach, Turner said.

Being a lifeguard is a significant time commitment, but it’s also an experience that helps the seasonal guards move toward future career goals, Turner said.

“I think it’s a wonderful growing experience,” Turner said. “I think that they learn a lot of skills that are important for them in full-time careers.”

Newport lifeguards started looking for potential applicants at Wednesday’s women’s water polo game between Newport Harbor High School and Corona del Mar High School.

For several years, the rivalry water polo game has been an unofficial kick-off day for the seasonal guard recruitment, Turner said. The game draws community interest, and it’s timed just right with the release of seasonal guard applications, Turner said.

“We end up with a lot of swimmers and water polo players,” Turner said of the lifeguard recruits.

* LAUREN VANE covers public safety and courts. She may be reached at (714) 966-4618 or at [email protected].

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To apply to be a Newport Beach lifeguard, call (949) 644-3047 or go online to www.newportlifeguard.org.

DON LEACH / DAILY PILOT(LA)Lifeguard Rob Williams, right, hands out information about seasonal lifeguard jobs at a Newport Harbor water polo game.