Lifeguard Posts Open With U.S. Park Service

The U.S. National Park Service is accepting applications for a swimming test leading to summer Lifeguard jobs.

The starting pay ranges from $12.18 to $20.37 an hour, depending on experience. The positions are available at Riis Park, Queens; Great Kills Park, Staten Island; and Sandy Hook, New Jersey.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens and 16 or older on the day of appointment. To pre-register for the rigorous five-part pre-employment performance test, call 1-800-678-7946.

Test Components

The first part of the test requires candidates to swim 600 yards in under 10 minutes. Then, in under four minutes, they have to perform a simulated rescue, swimming 50 yards to retrieve a dummy, towing that dummy another 50 yards, getting out of the water and carrying a 150-pound person that same distance, and then performing CPR on the mannequin for a minute.

In addition, candidates must swim underwater for 125 feet, surfacing exactly four times. They also have to break free from the grip of another person underwater. Finally, they have to run 1-1/2 miles in under 12 minutes.

There is no filing or test fee. The first performance exam is set for Jan. 6 at the Col. Francis B. Messmore Aquatic Center at Fordham University in The Bronx. Preference is given to qualified veterans.