PDA

View Full Version : county to hire lifeguards

SoWalSally
10-02-2005, 12:11 PM
From Walton Sun

The Walton County Board of County Commissioners directed the Tourist Development Council to formulate a plan to post lifeguards at six regional beach accesses.
“(We will) advertise and have people respond and we will take the respondents back to the county so the county can make a decision on who would be best for us to contract with and we would take it from there,” Kriss Titus, TDC executive director said.
At the BCC meeting on Sept. 27 County Attorney David Hallman said the county has to show factual evidence that more people will come to the beaches if lifeguards were patrolling them in order to have TDC funds used.
In 2003, the beach safety and education committee was formed to look at ways to improve education and safety on area beaches. The issue of lifeguards has come up over and over and over and this is the recommendation the committee came up with in their last meeting, County Administrator Ronnie Bell said.
There is a tight timeline for getting lifeguards on the beaches next year.
“You have to develop a program. There is equipment to order, there are towers to be built and people to be hired and trained,” Sean Hughes, South Walton Fire District deputy chief, said.
He added that a decision needs to be made by December at the latest because you can’t put people out in the Gulf to train in January and February.
Titus said there will be lifeguards on South Walton beaches next year. She added that the TDC will develop its plan in the next two to four weeks at which time it will present it to the BCC. Inlet Beach, Miramar Beach, Gulfview Heights, Dune Allen Beach, Ed Walline Park and Santa Clara Beach are the six regional beaches the TDC is looking at placing lifeguards.
SHELLY
10-02-2005, 10:56 PM
They are going to have to pay them (lifeguards) mucho bucks to live in Walton County--paying them $8 per hour just ain't gonna hack it (even if they commute using $3.50 gas).
Dabell
10-03-2005, 12:16 AM
I feel that there should be a few lifeguards on so wal and all beaches. I think this is a good thing.
TooFarTampa
10-03-2005, 08:29 AM
Was housing not discussed? Lifeguards are a great idea but we need housing for these people. Anyone have Brad Pickel's email address?
aquaticbiology
10-03-2005, 08:46 AM
Hey, there's me a weekend job if I ever saw one! I have my certification and everything, plus tons of experience at the country club pool back in college. How are they going to get them to live in the county? Lifeguard types need cheap rundown apartments and plenty of parking for their surfboard-laden, rusted-out extremely-loud cars, unless they're going to pay them real wages, and that's just unheard of. Nothing like hoisting the beer-stained carcass of a hungover lifeguard onto the tower (experience). Oh, I get it, its just another expensive tourist carrot for the platinum haired and large cleavaged TDC chicks to have a drool over. If there are county lifeguards, then there will be those who will sue the county and the lifeguards because they were there when the idiot went and did something really stupid, as opposed to "Swim At Your Own Risk" signs which scream "Don't Bother Sueing, You Were Warned".
aquaticbiology
10-03-2005, 08:50 AM
Now I just can't wait for the first issue of the "Lifeguards of South Walton" beefcake calendar so I can hang it in the bathroom at Panama City YMCA.

Sounds like a worthwhile trip over to Panama City to me!

HA!

And while you're at it, send one to Earl at Gulf Trace.
Smiling JOe
10-03-2005, 09:06 AM
Now I just can't wait for the first issue of the "Lifeguards of South Walton" beefcake calendar so I can hang it in the bathroom at Panama City YMCA.

Sounds like a worthwhile trip over to Panama City to me!

HA!

And while you're at it, send one to Earl at Gulf Trace.

I don't know where you grew up, but I have always seen more female lifeguards than male lifeguards.
kurt
10-03-2005, 09:42 AM
Was housing not discussed? Lifeguards are a great idea but we need housing for these people. Anyone have Brad Pickel's email address?

He doesn't have anything to do with hiring or housing. You might do best by contacting your commissioner.

http://www.sowal.com/links.html
ShallowsNole
10-03-2005, 10:15 AM
I would imagine that, like most of our workforce, they already live near here. "Near here" being defined as anywhere between the Gulf of Mexico and the Alabama state line, and 60 miles east or west. Possibly with Mom and/or Dad.
TooFarTampa
10-03-2005, 10:26 AM
He doesn't have anything to do with hiring or housing. You might do best by contacting your commissioner.

http://www.sowal.com/links.html

I don't get it. The article said TDC is putting the plan together to present to the commissioners. Who would be the brain trust here?
kurt
10-03-2005, 11:32 AM
I don't get it. The article said TDC is putting the plan together to present to the commissioners. Who would be the brain trust here?

The commissioner for your district is usually the best person to contact about most matters since they have the ultimate decision before them and they direct county employees. Commissioners depend on approval of the people for votes. I bet you already knew that.

Next in line would be the county administrator: Ronnie Bell
belronnie@co.walton.fl.us (belronnie@co.walton.fl.us)
117 Montgomery Circle
P.O. Box 1355
DeFuniak Springs, FL. 32435
Phone: (850) 892-8155 or (850) 892-8156
Fax: (850) 892-8454

At the TDC: Kriss Titus, TDC Executive Director (850) 267-1216, P.O. Box 1248 Santa Rosa Beach FL 32459
SHELLY
10-03-2005, 11:44 AM
I would imagine that, like most of our workforce, they already live near here. "Near here" being defined as anywhere between the Gulf of Mexico and the Alabama state line, and 60 miles east or west. Possibly with Mom and/or Dad.

You would think so....but Pensacola Beach hired lifeguards from.....are you ready for this.......POLAND! They put in for work visas to have these guys and gals shipped across because they had trouble finding local lifeguards to work for such miserable wages. I find it hard to believe that the teens of South Walton county would give up their summer vacation to work for pocket change.
beachmouse
10-03-2005, 12:21 PM
In the past, the Bluewater pools have hired lifeguards from Poland, England, and former Soviet Republics, and a decent number of the guards at Big Kahuna's are foreign college kids as well.
ShallowsNole
10-03-2005, 03:44 PM
That is a thought...there are large numbers of foreign kids over here (mostly toward Destin/FWB, but I've heard of places in SoWal too). However, I would hope that our TDC - or Walton County in general - approach that angle very carefully so as not to have the same perception by the public as some of the summer employers who cram these kids in sixteen to a two-bedroom condo and take most of their paycheck to do it. There are employers and agencies who treat these young men and women fairly, but there are definitely some who don't.

Then, though, we are back to the housing issue. :confused:
Kimmifunn
10-03-2005, 09:13 PM
I don't know where you grew up, but I have always seen more female lifeguards than male lifeguards.

Now Joe...For my sake, let's ship in the males. Just when I'm in Sowal. Ok?
Smiling JOe
10-03-2005, 10:39 PM
Now Joe...For my sake, let's ship in the males. Just when I'm in Sowal. Ok?

:nono1:
You would never let them work when you are at the beach, thereby endangering the lives of those who venture into the water on red flag days.
aquaticbiology
10-05-2005, 10:49 AM
I don't know where you grew up, but I have always seen more female lifeguards than male lifeguards.

you wishful thinker you! :D :D :D
Bob
10-07-2005, 12:41 AM
They are going to have to pay them (lifeguards) mucho bucks to live in Walton County--paying them $8 per hour just ain't gonna hack it (even if they commute using $3.50 gas).They are only paying the lifeguards for the job, not the lifestyle. With that reasoning there would be no wait staff at any local restaurants.