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When asked how they recruit and retain lifeguards, here is what your colleagues have said...
"We've contacted fire departments. Most firefighters work a schedule of 24 hours on and 48 hours off. They are very safety minded and already trained in lifesaving skills. Minimal in-water rescue training leads to wonderful daytime lifeguards."
Andrea Frey
Fort Wayne, IN
Following are some profiles of some traditional and non-traditional lifeguards. Use their stories to brainstorm ideas about people in your community whom you might not have previously thought of as potential lifeguards.
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Christy is an education major who finds that lifeguarding allows her to stay in shape and work outdoors, two of her favorite things. As one who grew up swimming, she's a good example of keeping someone interested through the early years, and now she's ready to be involved for a lifetime. She hopes to keep lifeguarding as a second career. When asked why she chose lifeguarding as a job option, Christy said, "I love my job. I get paid for what I love to do."
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Growing up in Miami, Misty is used to good weather, which is one of the reasons that she likes to be a lifeguard. As she puts it, she likes to make good money while working in good weather. She first became interested in lifeguarding while visiting her little sister at lifeguard camp. She also loves being outdoors and says that for her lifeguarding "is a huge responsibility to hold so many lives in your hand. It's not something everyone can do."
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"Getting into the water and knowing that you're the only one between life and death is an awesome responsibility"
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At 68 years of age, George is definitely not your traditional lifeguard, but he has been on the job for over 50 years. A former math teacher, George plans on lifeguarding for at least another 10 years. Why does he do it? As he puts it, "Educating minds is important, but saving lives is unparalleled. Lifeguards are not paid for what they do, but what they are prepared to do."
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Married to a bank vice president and father of an infant son, Luis doesn't sound like your typical lifeguard. But, as lieutenant of a 45-member lifeguard corps, Luis is a professional lifeguard, and intends to be his entire life. Growing up in Brazil, Luis was inspired by watching his father save lives as a lifeguard and a physician. He believes that lifeguards need to have the desire to help others and to be responsible. Luis sums up his career with the thought that, "To help save a life is priceless, and to look back at the end of the day and know that you made a difference in other's lives is an incredible feeling."
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Tony is an Army Reservist and an emergency medical technician. Tony has been a lifeguard for five years. He chose lifeguarding because it provided him with opportunity for career advancement in his other lifesaving career pursuits. He sees his career as a lifeguard as an opportunity to help people in distress. Tony says, "Lifeguarding is good for a person's mental and physical condition."
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