Presque Isle State Park is hiring more lifeguards. Which beaches will be staffed in 2024?
Presque Isle State Park needs about 50 lifeguards to fully staff all of its swimmable beaches.
Bob North, the park's lifeguard manager, estimated he will have 29 for Memorial Day weekend and around 35 by late June.
"It's been four years since we had a full complement of lifeguards," North said. "If we could recruit a full complement, we could open Beach 1 for swimming. We could open Beach 9."
The park's 2024 swim season begins Saturday, May 24, and is expected to run seven days a week through Labor Day, Sept. 2, with the possibility of allowing weekend swimming into October.
Swimming at unguarded beaches is not permitted at the park, so having enough lifeguards is key to a successful swim season, North said. However, recruiting them is more challenging than ever.
"There just aren't as many kids in Erie with swim experience," North said. "When I graduated from Strong Vincent High School in 1973, we had 560 students in my graduating class, and 25 or 26 of them were on the swim team. Tech also had a swim team, Academy had a team and East had a team — not to mention Prep and McDowell. And like 60% of those kids worked at the beach."
Not only are there fewer high school swim teams in Erie, there are more places that hire lifeguards, such as Splash Lagoon, and Waldameer Park and Water World.
Presque Isle offers bonus for lifeguard referrals
To compete for lifeguards, North stays in regular communication with swim teams. The park also has started a new incentive program for lifeguard referrals.
"If you recommend someone to me and they work an entire season, you get a $200 bonus," North said. "That's not park money. We have former lifeguards who are very generous with their support."
How much does a Presque Isle lifeguard earn?
The starting wage for park lifeguards is $17.70 an hour, with experienced ones earning more than $20 an hour, North said.
The park is still accepting lifeguard applications for the 2024 season, even though it takes about three weeks of training before a lifeguard is permitted to guard a beach. North and the staff will help applicants get the required certifications.
How can I apply to be a Presque Isle lifeguard?
To apply, visit www.employment.pa.gov. Click on "open jobs," type in "lifeguards" and choose "Erie County" under the location drop box.
A requirement of every applicant is that they must swim two pool lengths in less than 32 seconds.
What beaches will have swimming if more lifeguards aren't hired?
Unless significantly more lifeguards apply and are hired, North said the following beaches will be open for swimming on a regular basis:
Weekdays — Beaches 3, 6, 8 and 11
Weekends — Beaches 3, 6, 8, 10 and 11
Contact David Bruce at [email protected]. Follow him on X @ETNBruce.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Presque Isle State Park still hiring lifeguards as beaches set to open
