LIFEGUARD TESTS FOR CITY BEACHES, POOLS; Need 400 New Workers; Pays $10.71 an Hour; Must Pass Swimming And Vision Tests, Training Course

LIFEGUARD TESTS FOR CITY BEACHES, POOLS

Need 400 New Workers; Pays $10.71 an Hour; Must Pass Swimming And Vision Tests, Training Course

The Parks Department is currently testing for Lifeguard jobs available at city beaches and pools this summer.

The city plans to recruit and train 1,200 Lifeguards in time for the summer season, which begins Memorial Day weekend. Many of these positions will be filled with returning personnel, but the city is still looking to hire approximately 400 new Lifeguards.

Where Openings Are

The starting salary is $10.71 an hour, which rises to $12.24 the second year. New hires will likely be assigned to work at pools in Manhattan or Brooklyn and at the Rockaway or Coney Island beaches.

To qualify, candidates must be at least 16 years old and pass a rigorous performance test that includes swimming 50 yards in 35 seconds. Candidates must also have a minimum of 20/30 vision in one eye and 20/40 in the other.

The primary testing site is the West 59th St. Recreation Center at 533 West 59th St. in Manhattan, where applicants can go between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. Advance reservations are not needed.

A listing of other testing sites available in the city's different boroughs is available online at www.nycgovparks.org or by calling 311.

Rigorous Training

All candidates who meet the basic qualifications are eligible for the 35-hour training program. Candidates are paid for their training time after they complete the 10-to-12-week course. The instruction covers basic rescue techniques, swimming skills, CPR, and first aid. Training also includes lessons on approaches to spinal injury management, and there is a final swim examination.

Appointees working at beaches must be able to swim 440 yards in 6 minutes and 40 seconds, and hires assigned to pools have to swim that distance in 7 minutes and 40 seconds.

"Swimming in the ocean is much more difficult than swimming in a pool," said Liam Kavanagh, a Deputy Parks Commissioner. "You have currents and tides - it's a much more challenging environment."

The beaches are scheduled to open for swimming on May 28, and the pools open on June 2. The season is scheduled to end after Labor Day. The city has seven beaches and 53 outdoor pools.