Vallone, Weiner Seek More Lifeguards For City Beaches

(R. to l.): Congressmember Anthony Weiner (D-Queens/Brooklyn), along with Assemblymember Audrey Pheffer (D-Queens) and City Councilmember Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach), talks with an on-duty lifeguard at Jacob Riis Park. Weiner announced $3 million in funding for more lifeguards and park improvements across Jacob Riis Park beaches.

After several drowning incidents occurred last weekend, City Councilmember Peter F. Vallone Jr., chairman of the Public Safety Committee, urged families to be careful when swimming at the beach this summer, especially in the unpredictable Atlantic Ocean currents. Vallone, a former beach lifeguard for seven years, said that riptides are rare and actually not the cause of most drownings. He warned people to beware of strong undertows, the real danger, which capture people who don't swim regularly and underestimate the power of the ocean.

 

"Fewer lifeguards and strong currents are a deadly combination and people need to take precautions," Vallone said. "Stay in front of lifeguards, and do not go into deeper water unless you are an experienced swimmer."

Vallone also hoped the city would recruit and hire more lifeguards to patrol the busy beaches of Queens and the other boroughs. His office has sent out several calls over the years to encourage more young people to take the position.

Jacob Riis Park beaches will see an influx of new lifeguards and seasonal rangers to help increase safety under a $3 million federal initiative, Congressmember Anthony D. Weiner (D- Queens/Brooklyn) said on July 20. The new resources will enable the national park to fully staff beaches with lifeguards for this year and the next 10 years. As these federal resources can be used only to hire new lifeguards at Riis Beach, which is operated and maintained by the National Park Service, beaches operated by the city may still remain closed due to lack of safety personnel. The number of lifeguards employed by the city remains about 10 percent below full staffing levels. Weiner called on the city to match his efforts and provide additional funding to keep beaches open for New Yorkers.

"In the most urban part of our country, beaches and access to the ocean provide entertainment and escape from the stress of the big city," Weiner said. "I hope the city will match these federal resources and give more hardworking New Yorkers the opportunity to relax at the beach."

Over the past few years, the budget for Gateway National Park has not had sufficient funds to hire lifeguards to patrol all of the beaches. As a result, four or five beaches in Riis Park were forced to remain closed. With Riis Park receiving approximately 350,000 visitors each summer, the beaches open to the public have become cramped and crowded.

Weiner said the new resources, which provide $3 million each year for 10 years, would enable the National Park Service to hire an additional 15 lifeguards to keep all of its beaches open. To date, the Park Service has already hired 13 new lifeguards as well as 18 more staff. The new personnel will allow the National Park System to open 30 percent more beaches this year than in past years.

The new funding is part of the Federal government's Centennial initiative, which provides a $50 million nationwide boost to National Parks to hire seasonal staff. The initiative provides both public and private resources to complete renovation projects before 2016, the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service.