WILDWOOD—The Wildwood Beach Patrol, and two of its veteran members, where recognized at the Sept.11th commission meeting for their commitment toward safety and dedication to the job.
The WBP was given a Joint Insurance Fund safety award. This award is given to departments who create new initiatives that change the way their employees think, act, or behave to create a safer work environment. The WBP won the award for making a simple sign that said “Every step, every time,” to remind its guards to use every ladder rung while climbing up and down the lifeguard stand.
When the WBP looked at its statistics they found that some of the lifeguards were getting lower leg injuries. Further investigation showed that a lot of these injuries where caused by getting on and off the stand.
“Sometimes the guards, if it’s a situation where it’s a rescue or emergency, they tend to move a little too quickly and they tend to get hurt by not hitting every step, jumping off (the stand) and hurting themselves, or slipping through a rung and hurting themselves,” explained WBP Chief Steve Stocks.
After the signs were posted the number of injuries went down.
Two “25 Years of Service” awards were also given out at the commission meeting. One going to Lt. Daniel Fourney and the other to Capt. Ed Schnider. Both men are teachers in the off-season which provides them the opportunity to return to the beach each year.
“Teach, coach, beach,” said Stocks, who has worked with the men through their entire career. “They’ve all been lifeguards longer than they’ve been teachers or coaches. We came down here as young men, we got involved with lifeguarding and loved it, the older guys who were around said listen if you want to stay and you want to go long term, you should get into teaching or coaching and you’ll be able to come back every summer.”
Stocks said the experience of Fourney and Schnider on the beach keeps people safer. “They understand the ocean, the currents, the lifeguards and the different situations because they’ve seen it before.”
Mayor Ernie Troiano also sang the men’s praises saying, “It makes you proud to have them, not as employees but as apart of our family. 25 years here on the Wildwood beach is a long career that I’m sure will continue.”
And those careers as set to continue as there are no talks of ether Schnider or Fourney retiring.
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