CITY LIFEGUARD JOBS FOR BEACHES, POOLS

Need 300 New Workers; Pays $12.55 an Hour; Must Pass Swimming And Vision Tests, Training Course

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

The city is working 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 seeking to hire between 250 and 300 new Lifeguards.

Job Locations

The starting pay for first-year Lifeguards is $12.55 an hour. New hires will likely be assigned to work at pools in Manhattan and Brooklyn and at the Rockaway and Coney Island beaches. All positions available are full-time, requiring 48 hours and six days a week.

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, without glasses or contact lenses.

The primary testing site is the Parks Lifeguard School, located at 533 West 59th St. in Manhattan. The test times are 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Advance reservations are not needed.

A listing of other testing sites available in the city's different boroughs is posted on the Parks Department Web site, www.nyc.gov/parks. Further information is also available by calling 311.

Candidates must bring a bathing suit, a towel and a combination lock or padlock for a locker. Goggles are optional. Individuals are urged to take the qualifying test as soon as possible to ensure that they complete their training in time for the upcoming season.

Instruction Classes

All candidates who meet the basic qualifications are eligible for the free 40-hour Municipal Lifeguard Training Program. Candidates are paid for their training time after they complete the 16-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.

The beaches are scheduled to open for swimming on May 24, and the pools open at the end of June. The season will end after Labor Day. The city has seven beaches and 52 outdoor pools.