LIFEGUARD POSTS FOR CITY BEACHES, POOLS

Hiring 300 New Workers; Pays $12.55 an Hour; Candidates Must Pass Swimming/Vision Training Course

Filing is now open for hundreds of Lifeguard jobs available at city beaches and pools this summer, the Parks Department said.

The city plans to recruit and train 1,200 Lifeguards in time for the summer season, which begins Memorial Day weekend. Many of the positions will be filled with returning personnel, but the city is still looking to hire approximately 300 new Lifeguards.

Starting Pay

The starting salary 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.

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 list 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.

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 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 within 6 minutes and 40 seconds, and Lifeguards assigned to pools have to swim that distance within 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.