At Jersey Shore, short-staffed beach patrols deal with a heat wave that’s sending more people into the water

Jersey Shore beachgoers didn’t seem to mind the 60-degree ocean temperatures. Instead, many got out of their chairs, put down their books, and waded into the waves to escape the brutal heat.

But more people in the water also means more chances for something to go wrong.

Some beach patrols up and down the South Jersey coast are reporting especially busy days amid this heat wave, which is striking as a national lifeguard shortage continues to thin their ranks. The combination has left some patrols feeling strained.

On Tuesday alone, the Cape May Beach Patrol logged 19 rescues, for everything from cut hands to serious shoulder injuries to a spine injury that required a swimmer to be helicoptered out, said Capt. Marty Franco.

Making the job more difficult: The squad completing these rescues is down about 20 guards, he said, and had even lighter staffing some days due to injuries and illnesses.

If they were at full force, “we’d have more support on these rescues,” Franco said. “Right now, our guys are really stepping up and doing a great job.”

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For the most part, the Jersey Shore is faring better than some other parts of the country, where a pandemic-exacerbated lifeguard shortage has caused beaches and pools to reduce their hours, cut back on swim lessons and other programs, or shutter entirely. In Philadelphia, for example, 12 public pools are closed for the third summer in a row because they don’t have enough guards to staff them.

Meanwhile down the Shore, the vast majority of beaches are open and bustling, with guards on the stand from morning to night.

Behind the scenes, however, beach patrol officials say they are losing candidates to other summer jobs that offer less risk and higher pay. At some beach patrol headquarters, they say they’re stressed as they put together the guard schedules, especially looking ahead to August, when some staffers return to college.

“The general public, they aren’t aware of the difficulty we’re having in staffing,” said Renny Steele, chief of the Sea Isle City Beach Patrol, which is down about six guards.

To make up for the decreased staffing and keep all beaches open, he said, about 25 guards are working six days a week.

“We’re providing the same services, but at what cost?” Steele said. “And when I say cost, I’m not talking about dollars. I’m talking about guards getting worn down, getting sick, and so on. It’s not easy sitting in the sun eight to 10 hours a day.”

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As folks tried to stay cool in Atlantic City during the heat wave, all beaches were open and buzzing by 11 a.m., Chief Steve Downey said, despite his beach patrol being down 20 guards.

In terms of events and crowds, which appear back to pre-COVID levels, “it’s as crazy a summer as we’ve had in a long time,” he said.

Still, the patrol’s rescue numbers haven’t been particularly high, Downey said Tuesday. But, given the heat wave, that could change.

He trusts his guards, a crew as well-trained and athletic as any he can recall, to handle whatever the rest of the summer brings, he said.

Recruiting can be especially challenging in Atlantic City, where guard pay starts at about $125 for an eight-hour day, Downey said; wealthier Shore points like Avalon pay lifeguards as much as $40 more a day.

“It’s not an easy job here,” Downey said. “It’s Atlantic City. It’s a party town.”

Downey said they are seeking better ways to recruit, including through a junior lifeguard program and relationships with area swim clubs and sports teams.

In Wildwood and neighboring North Wildwood, the beach patrol chiefs say they’ve had success recruiting in similar ways, with no guard shortages in either town.

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Bill Ciavarelli, chief of the North Wildwood Beach Patrol, attributes part of the success to building relationships with new homeowners whose children are interested in lifeguarding.

“We said, ‘Hey, we got to keep these kids engaged,’” he said.

Ciavarelli makes a point to introduce himself to and build relationships with new resident families, he said, and young people can get into the lifeguard pipeline as early as fourth grade through North Wildwood’s junior lifeguard program.

Of the 27 rookie lifeguards this year, 20 were junior lifeguards, Ciavarelli said.

Other towns are hoping they can attract more qualified applicants in future summers.

A couple of decades ago, 60 to 70 people might try out to be a Sea Isle lifeguard over the course of the summer, said Chief Steele. Now, that number isn’t even 35, and not everyone passes the strict physical test to qualify.

“It’s hard to find somebody who is athletic enough,” he said.

Still, “Sea Isle is business as usual,” Steele said, noting the beach patrol has maintained a less-than-two-minute response time to medical emergencies on the island.

But “if the trend continues,” he added, “who knows what is going to happen down the road.”