are trained to condense swimming areas
and make sure there are more guards
at the water’s edge than on the towers.
Dunsmore explains that if a swimmer
gets into trouble and calls for help,
nearby guards can more easily see them,
communicate with them, and respond
more quickly.
Lifeguard training also includes
practical ways to handle everyday
situations, like using a whistle blast to get
the public’s attention, crowd scanning
techniques, enforcing PA Department
of Conservation and Natural Resources
(DCNR) rules and regulations, and the
beach flag system—green for little to no
hazard, yellow for caution, and red means
closed for swimming.
According to North, serious incidents
at Presque Isle have been few and far
between because of the preventive
lifeguarding strategy the park has in place.
“It shows how important the training is,”
he says.
Lifeguard training also includes some
sessions on Presque Isle itself. “We’ve
found over the years that about 95
percent of visitor interactions occur with
lifeguards,” explains North. To make sure
they have the answers park visitors are
looking for, lifeguards learn about park
activities like pontoon boat excursions,
bicycle rentals, and lighthouse tours, plus
facts about the protected areas of the park
and even where the break walls came
from. Dunsmore adds that lifeguards learn
how to answer those questions without
breaking focus on swimmers and the
water.
give them an additional workout,” says
Dunsmore, “but to build teams and a
sense of pride in the beach zone that the
lifeguards work within.”
The guards compete in three teams
based on the beach zones they have
been assigned—1-6, 7-8, or 9-11. North
points out that 90 percent of Presque Isle
lifeguards are on competitive swim teams
from Cathedral Prep and McDowell or
Iroquois and Harborcreek. The Lifeguard
Olympics helps to form new alliances and
facilitate students from different schools
working together as lifeguard teams
throughout the summer.
Lifeguard Olympic events include a
one-mile open-water swim, a run-swim-
run that includes a 400-yard run on
the sand, a 400-yard open-water swim,
followed by an additional 400-yard run,
team events like volleyball and Frisbee,
and individual events including a three-
mile run and bench press.
Dunsmore says some of the most
enjoyable events to watch are surf rescue
and beach flags. “Our lifeguards are some
of the best athletes in the area,” he notes.
“We always encourage the public to come
down and watch on Saturday mornings.
We usually get started right around 9
a.m.” The Lifeguard Olympics is also a
great opportunity for future lifeguards to
be inspired by the commitment and
camaraderie they’ll see.
Making the Commitment
Because of the demands of open-
water lifeguarding, the specific training
for beach zones, and schedules that
ensure first-year lifeguards are working
alongside experienced guards and
lifeguard supervisors, lifeguarding at
Presque Isle is a full-time, summer-long
obligation.
North understands it can be difficult
for young people to commit to the job
with so many activities pulling them
in different directions, but “we make a
reciprocal commitment to them with
training and pay.” The starting salary
for lifeguards on Presque Isle this year
is $13.04 per hour, and lifeguards are
scheduled 40 hours per week. North
adds that Presque Isle retains about 80
percent of its staff season to season, and
many lifeguards begin at age 16 and
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“We give a lot of responsibility to 16- and 17-year-
olds. It’s amazing how well these kids step up.”
Physical Training That Gets You Ready
for Anything
Being a Presque Isle lifeguard means
you have to be in peak physical and
mental condition, so Monday through
Friday throughout the season, lifeguards
have 45 minutes of swimming, running
or weightlifting as well as instruction on
CPR, first aid and lifeguarding skills. They
also have classes with Dr. John Lyons and
other physicians on various topics such
as how to protect their skin from sun
damage.
On Saturdays, lifeguards participate
in Presque Isle’s “Lifeguard Olympics.”
“We not only hold the Olympics just to
WEST COUNTY
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SUMMER 2019
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