Santa Barbara summer lifeguard staff will cover all towers and pools, while other cities have concerns
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - All towers at local beaches and pools will be staffed this summer season with lifeguards.
Nationwide it is a different story, with many concerns about lifeguard shortages and the possibility of some pools closing without an adequate staff.
In Santa Barbara, Aquatics Supervisor Tony Sholl says there's been training for the past two weeks, and lifeguards were staffed over Memorial Day weekend. They will go on a weekend schedule until June 10, then go seven days a week through the summer season starting June 12.
The lifeguards will be at the beaches, community pools and working the junior lifeguard camps.
Beaches are expected to be full soon once the gray skies lighten up and school gets out. The Aquatic Department says after the strong response, much better than many other cities, it's completely set with lifeguards.
Sholl says, "yeah we've been lucky the past few years here in Santa Barbara where we haven't had the lifeguard shortage the rest of the nation has been facing."
Lifeguards at the beach can start as young as 16-years old.
At the community pools, a lifeguard can be 15-years old but they still have to pass all the rigorous tests.
Many will work with the Junior Lifeguard camps all summer or if they are coming up the ranks, they are assistants.
In every position, they are taught to be ready at all times.
Sholl said, "if something happens, you are that first responder. You are that line between, are they going to make it or not. You've go to take it seriously, you got to be in shape and be well trained in order to do your job."
Along the Santa Barbara coast from Leadbetter Beach to East Beach there are six towers. Lifeguards have a lot to watch mainly in the ocean but also and on the sand where there could be some concerns.
That matters to many parents with their kids.
Whitney Price said, "yes yes. We don't want to go too far and we want to stay with the comfort of the lifeguard watching as well. The reason why we chose Santa Barbara we love this place and certainly because of the safe beaches, we appreciate that."
They also check for riptides or other concerns.
"Absolutely we look for the flags that they have out if there's any kind of warning. We definitely appreciate their guidance," she said.
Sholl said, "statistics show if you are swimming near a lifeguard within their view the chances of you going under the water without them seeing you is very slim."
Some of the lifeguards are veteran swimmers.
"We also have a good number of our older generation that are stating to work at the pools that are 55 plus, we love seeing them out there and know they are good, reliable and have a great work ethic," he said.
As for a job being a lifeguard on the California coast, Scholl said, "it's really cool to be a lifeguard. I like to say I've been retired since I'm 20!"
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