Last year’s lifeguard shortage impacted many Connecticut beaches and led to the curtailing of hours and programming at Guilford beaches. The Parks and Recreation Department is looking to stave off that problem this season by hiring early and has just announced a low-cost reimbursement plan to entice lifeguards for the coming season.

Recreation Supervisor Ellen Clow said the shortage of available lifeguards was a widespread problem that affected numerous towns last season, including Guilford. Though Jacobs Beach was able to remain open for what was essentially its normal operating hours, swim programs had to be cut there, and Quonnipaug Beach had to curtail weekday hours due to the lack of staff.

“Last summer, we did have to cancel swim lessons, and we did not have our full line up, and we did have to reduce hours of operation at the Lake [Quonnipaug] to 12 to 6 during the week. Typically, Lake Quonnipaug, in previous years, was open from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., so there was a slight impact,” said Clow. “But we felt we did pretty well. In speaking with some other towns and where they were at last year, we felt pretty lucky in Guilford that we were definitely able to maintain our operations at a high level and keep both beaches open.”

According to Clow, the department wanted to start early with the hiring process and is confident they will be able to maintain the same level of offerings as last year. The impact of COVID and the cancelation of two years of mandatory lifeguarding courses are still being felt by recreation departments across the state.

“We were fortunate in Guilford that the staff that comes through has that loyalty and keep coming back year after year,” Clow said. “COVID had an impact as some people moved on, but there weren’t classes being offered, so there was a bit of a lull. But I am hopeful that we will find enough staff this year to keep the beaches open to the same hours that they were last summer.”

Department Director Rick Maynard said the decision to limit hours is frustrating for him and his staff.

“The biggest impact last year was up at Quonnipaug, where we had to reduce weekday hours. We simply didn’t have enough guards to go with two shifts,” Maynard said. “If you’re open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., you can’t have someone working 10 hours, so the impact was that we weren’t open for nearly as many hours as we normally would have been. We also haven’t had swim lessons for a number of years now, ever since COVID. We simply do not have the WSIs [Water Safety Instructors]; even this year, we aren’t offering swim lessons per se. We are offering a supervised swim program, but they won’t be certified Red Cross swim lessons simply because we don’t have the WSIs; they aren’t getting trained.”

Maynard added, “It’s hard; we are definitely having trouble getting applicants. I don’t want to speculate if we don’t get enough guards, but I’m praying we can get the staff we need to at least keep the same hours as we had last season.”

According to the department, the new plan will reimburse the $100 course fee to any lifeguard who passes the course and remains employed by Guilford for the 2023 beach season. Applicants can be 15 years old to apply, but they must turn 16 by the end of May or early June in order to be hired by the town and secure a position.

There are other criteria as well. There will be both a classroom and practical skills portion of the program. The classes will take place in Branford at the Walsh Intermediate School Pool from March 15 to 29 from 5:30 to 9 p.m., with class nights occurring between those dates as well.

Completion of the course will certify students in Red Cross CPR/AED, first aid, and lifeguarding. The certification is effective for two years.

Interested applicants should visit the department site for the full list of the mandatory physical requirements and also what the practical portions of the course demand in order to pass. Among those requirements to pass are swimming 300 yards without stopping, treading water for two minutes without using one’s arms, and completing a timed diving retrieval segment as well.

For more information, contact Ellen Clow at clowe@guildfordct.gov.