CLEARWATER, Fla — On Sand Key beach in Clearwater Friday, the next wave of folks who'll help keep Pinellas County beaches safe were up bright and early to train. They're new lifeguard recruits like Charles McLaughlin, who moved here from Buffalo, NY, to work.
"I just decided that I wanted to do something and give back to the community. And I wanted to experience something other than the lake effect snow that we grew up with," he said.
The county's aquatic supervisor, Andrea Moreira, said they'll take all the help they can get.
Right now, only a handful of the 25 lifeguard positions in the county are full-timers. The rest of those positions are filled with part-time folks, who often have other work and school obligations—which leaves the county in a constant shortage.
"So, I really need availability, good skill[s], good people communication and [someone who] enjoys to be outdoors," said Moreira.
To qualify, you must also be 18 or older, you have to be able to swim just over a quarter mile in under 10 minutes, run half a mile in 4 minutes or less, and you have to be strong enough to pull someone who is bigger than you while in water of any depth.
"Don't expect to have a drowning when you are in the buoy line. You have to be careful of everything in and around the water. Twenty inches of water is enough for someone to drown," said Moreira.
New recruits who qualify will be given a minimum of 40 hours of training, which includes CPR certification. And McLaughlin shared this message for anyone who is interested.
"Do you want to be behind a desk making calls or typing emails? Or do you want to get to interact with awesome members of the public in a beautiful environment like this? While, I might add, learning all sorts of new skills that, even if you're not on the beach, you can apply to day-to-day life," he said.
To learn more about the county's lifeguard program, click here.
