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Lifeguards, Flag System, 20/20

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There is nothing like a few shark attacks to keep people out of the ripcurrents. Any thoughts on bringing sharks closer to the beach to help prevent more drownings. Afterall, as I predicted, we have had more deaths from drownings than from shark bites this year. What do you say? :idontno:
 
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The bigger question is.....will a 16 year old earning $8.50/hr be willing (or brave enough!) to attempt to save a victim from the jaws of a shark? We're not talking your average swimming pool lifeguard duties here.

Now....if we could get a few David Hasselhoff-type lifeguards on the beach, that might be another story! :wub:
 
Can anyone bring back that mind control photo of David Hasselhoff wearing a David Hasselhoff bikini on a David Hasselhoff bikini on a David Hasselhoff bikini ...... :shock:
 
luvthebeach said:
Now....if we could get a few David Hasselhoff-type lifeguards on the beach, that might be another story! :wub:
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Even if you paid lifeguards annual salary of $30,000 each, where would they live?
 
Smiling JOe said:
Even if you paid lifeguards annual salary of $30,000 each, where would they live?
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I was wondering the same thing SJ.
 
Smiling JOe said:
Even if you paid lifeguards annual salary of $30,000 each, where would they live?
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It seems to me that it would be reasonable to have trained college kids working the beaches in the summer, but you'd have to have dorm-like facilities for them to stay in. I don't think the area has enough trained kids (who could drive in and out every day) to support the demand for lifeguards. There definitely would need to be a formal program with recruiting and housing. I'm not opposed to it at all. In fact I think it's a great idea. But putting such a program together is a challenge and will take some time to plan and execute.
 
TooFarTampa said:
There definitely would need to be a formal program with recruiting and housing. I'm not opposed to it at all. In fact I think it's a great idea. But putting such a program together is a challenge and will take some time to plan and execute.
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Sandestin recently built dormitory/appartment housing for some of their employees.
 
ShallowsNole said:
As has been asked earlier, how much should a lifeguard earn? Where are they supposed to come from? My guess is that we would need to tap the 16 ? 21 year old surfer crowd. This is appropriate, as they know our beach better than most people do.
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The local surfer crowd is already pretty tapped out for those kinds of jobs. Foreign college kids already do a lot of the lifeguarding in Okaloosa and Escambia counties- seems like they're commonly from places like Poland, England, and former Yugoslavian and Soviet republics. And regardless of citizenship or nationality, everyone has to meet the same standards to get a lifeguarding job in those places.
 
Back to the $30K salary issue, bear in mind that's not too far from what a beginning Walton County deputy sheriff makes. Starting salary for a City of DeFuniak Springs police officer is $22K. :roll:

So, not only would it not make sense (in my mind, anyway) to pay them $30K, they most definitely don't have anywhere to live.

There has got to be an answer, but I don't know what it is.
 
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