SEA ISLE CITY — The Sea Isle City Beach Patrol (SICBP) is a well-respected life-saving organization with an impressive history. To ensure that Sea Isle’s beaches are safe for swimmers year after year, each summer the SICBP nurtures future recruits during a “Junior Lifeguard Program,” which is open to participants age 14-17. This year’s Junior Lifeguard Program begins July 19.
The SICBP’s Junior Lifeguard Program introduces basic lifesaving skills and rescue techniques to prospective beach patrol employees. During the program, instructors apply the principles of surf bashing, swimming, running, paddling and ocean rowing to techniques of water rescue and beach management appropriate to age and developing skill. Junior lifeguards developing through the program to the advanced level, who are sixteen years of age or older, may be selected for employment with the beach patrol upon graduating in Aug.
The SICBP also has “Lifeguard Tryouts” each summer, which help secure skilled employees for the pending season. Following this year’s tryouts on June 11-12, twenty-three “Rookies” joined the SICBP, ranging in age from 16 to 21.
During the SICBP’s 2016 Rookie Week, which took place June 18-24, Sea Isle’s newest lifeguards ran, swam, rowed, paddled, practiced ocean rescues and achieved certification in CPR and first aid – plus they generally learned how the SICBP has established itself as a premier life-saving organization.
According to Rookie Week instructor Lt. Dave Stearne, 6 of this year’s 23 rookies participated in the SICBP’s Junior Lifeguard Program.
“Despite valuable pre-training gained through the Junior Lifeguard Program experiences for some recruits, all rookies were exposed to unique conditions created by changing water, wave and beach topography secondary to recent beach replenishment projects,” said Lt. Stearne. “Anticipation of potential dangers associated with waves breaking very close to shore and gullies and sandbars formed as shallow water undersurfaces reorganize presents a special set of challenges to the new rookie class.”
According to SICBP Captain Renny Steele, one of the original purposes for establishing the Sea Isle City Beach Patrol Junior Lifeguard Program, in the year 2000, was to train the children of alumni and local tax payers in an effort to prevent the disappointment of non-employment due to a failure to meet the minimum requirements of testing.
“The program prepares each junior guard to take the actual lifeguard test when they become of age,” said Captain Steele. “It improves their chances of being hired and provides the beach patrol with a greater number of qualified applicants. For those junior guards who are age appropriate and pass the lifeguard test during the three week program, it provides end of the summer employment. Those chosen for employment help the beach patrol maintain lifeguard coverage on beaches as guards return to school before the summer season is over.”
For more information about the SICBP – or to sign-up for this year’s Junior Lifeguard Program – phone 609-263-3655 or visit www.sicbp.com.
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