Letter: Lifeguard shortages impacting local beaches

Over recent years, the longstanding lifeguard shortage has been exasperated to the point that some local community beaches struggle to recruit guards for the upcoming season. The Swansea town Beach is no exception.

The Swansea Beach Committee is an all-volunteer committee charged with the operation of the Town Beach during the busy summer season. Long standing members are no strangers to the challenge of finding youth looking to spend their summer working as lifeguards, but the last few seasons have found the Committee cobbling together a crew to oversee the sandy shoreline overlooking Mt Hope Bay.

As a result of this shortage, wages for lifeguards have gone up and many communities, and state beaches, are offering ‘incentives’ to attract applicants. Swansea adopted such a program last season which was instrumental in securing a staff for the 2021 season and assisted staff in covering the cost of the needed lifeguard Certification process.

Outreach to local schools, community organizations, and guard training facilities have yet to produce an adequate number of guards for Swansea at this point, For youth, becoming a Life Guard can be a near guarantee of summer employment for their latter high school years and right through college. Great wages, good working conditions, a summer outside are all appealing aspects of becoming a Life Guard!

Swansea offers a restored sandy shoreline, a brand new bath house/Life Guard station, showers, a playground, and a spacious grassy area to toss around a Frisbee or football. Guards can apply to be full or part time and enjoy flexible hours. Interested applicants can forward a ‘Letter of Interest’ to Swansea Beach Committee, Swansea Town Hall, 81 Main Street, Swansea, MA 02777. Applications will be accepted until all positions are filled.

Tim Haley, Correspondence Secretary
Swansea Beach Committee
Swansea, Massachusetts